Help Build a Better Future
The application period for fall 2020 is now open! Fill out this form by August 9 to apply. Thank you for your interest!
Add to Your Toolbox
The Jackson Hole Conservation Leadership Institute (CLI) is a rigorous, 12 week, leadership development program offered at no charge. Graduates of CLI have the skills and knowledge to effectively organize, advocate, and hold local decision-makers accountable for building a better future. CLI starts with the basics of organizing and progresses each week as participants learn and practice new skills to become grassroots leaders in our community. The course includes a range of topics that participants will explore through group discussion, guest speakers, panel presentations, group projects, readings and real world applications.
By the end of the course, you’ll have the know-how—as well as the encouragement and support—to effectively:
- Communicate your position to others, including elected representatives;
- Identify, recruit, and lead a grassroots team;
- Empower others to engage in the civic process;
- Use storytelling to inspire action;
- Develop a campaign plan to achieve a specific goal;
- Approach governmental and policy making processes with confidence;
- Identify and execute the best strategies and tactics to reach your goal.
Workshop Schedule
CLI will be held virtually with 2.5-hour workshops every Wednesday evening from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. over the course of 12 weeks. This year, the focus of the course will be on climate change. The schedule for Round 11 of CLI includes:
- Topic: Advocating for change and finding your voice
- Speaker: Public speaking skills - Glen Esnard, Career & Leadership Coach
- Topic: Intro to campaign planning & team projects
- Speaker: Climate change in Jackson Hole - Pete Muldoon, Mayor of Jackson
Workshop #1
Workshop #2
- Topic: Local government and policymaking
- Speaker: National conservation trends in the New West - Luther Propst, County Commissioner, former Executive Director of the Sonoran Institute
- Topic: Climate change and public lands
- Speaker: Climate Change and Public Lands - Juan Pérez Sáez, Energy and Climate Campaign Manager, The Wilderness Society
Workshop #3
Workshop #4
- Topic: Grassroots Strategies
- Panel: Public interest lobbyists - Effective communications with elected representatives
- Topic: Reaching your community with the right message
Workshop #5
Workshop #6
- Topic: Leadership and delegation
- Speaker: Personal leadership styles and being an effective leader - Juliet Unfried
- Topic: Modern organizing movements
- Speaker: Digital engagement in critical times - Rebecca Berry and Ariel Kazunas, Alliance Grassroots Organizers
Workshop #7
Workshop #8
- Topic: Trick-or-Vote - Getting our community to the polls
- Topic: Keeping the momentum in a grassroots campaign
Special Event
Workshop #9
- Topic: Building power in your community
- Speaker: Starting a nonprofit - Ali Dunford, Founder and Executive Director of Hole Food Rescue
- Topic: Staying involved & using what you've learned
- Speaker: Taking it to the State: State Representative for HD16 Mike Yin
Workshop #10
Workshop #11
- Graduation: CLI Project Presentations
Special Event
*Specific topic/speaker(s) of each meeting subject to change
Finally, CLI features a hands-on project to practice leadership and make a difference in Jackson Hole.
This project is a great way to get real-life practice with recruiting, leadership, and communication skills. It requires a few meetings with your team, on your own time, outside of class. Please contact us for more information.
For more information about this program, contact Tisa Djahangiri, or call 214-578-2921.
What do graduates of the first eight rounds of CLI have to say about the program?
From the first week to the last, I was able to network with like-minded individuals in a fun and engaging setting. Every one in the class was unique, and inspirational in their own way. For once, I felt connected to community members with a common vision.
— Trevor Bloom
To understand our local political process, and to understand the importance we have in this political process, is empowering, inspiring, and enjoyable.
— Abbie Bilotta
It is an incredible opportunity to gain such a focused understanding of how to become an advocate.
— Aaron Hamby
CLI reconnected me to my passion for conservation. During the eight weeks of CLI, I found a confidence and excitement in my inner being I thought died a long time ago.
— Suzanne Knighton
What the Alliance is doing for our collective future is revolutionary. From personal experience, I know that while many youth may have a vested interest in creating beneficial changes for the future, often times we do not know where and how to plugin. The Alliance has now set up the foundation for us, providing the tools, assets, and network needed to be the change.
— Ali Dunford
The course is great for people just starting out in the conservation community because it introduces them to the local issues and the skills needed to run a successful campaign. For those with more experience, it builds on the skills they have while introducing new ideas and techniques to make them more effective in their work.
— Tanya Anderson
The moment I walked into the first class I felt empowered and capable to implement change in Jackson Hole, and that is a feeling I would like everyone in this area to share.
— Peggie dePasquale
This course is an amazing opportunity for people to gain great skills and meet amazing people in the community that are interested in shaping a great future too.
— Noelle Guernsey
I have been to many leadership-type seminars before and this one was by far the most practical and applicable.
— Christy Lewis
