The Ultimate Guide: Education & Training in the JLC
Welcome back to the Ultimate Guide to being a Junior League of Charlotte, Inc (JLC) Member! This post will highlight the Education & Training Council, its committees, and the signature training programs offered by the JLC. The Education & Training Council’s mission is to educate and train JLC members so that each has an opportunity to develop and reach her full potential as a volunteer and leader. This goal is accomplished by providing mission-driven training that develops the leadership potential of women and equips them to improve the community.
The E&T Council is made up of seven committees:
- Membership Meetings Committee
- Leadership Development & Support
- Training and Development (T&D)
- The Mentor Program
- Leadership Development Institute (LDI)
- Public Policy Institute (PPI); and
- Get on Board
While each committee has a different focus, they are all dedicated to providing training opportunities to JLC members and the local community.
E&T offers four signature training programs that the JLC has developed over the years: LDI, PPI, Get on Board, and the Mentor Program. In addition to these programs, there are three committees that focus on internal JLC events: Membership Meetings, T&D, and Leadership Development and Support.
LDI educates, inspires, and connects women using the core values of leadership through monthly facilitated workshops. This program allows participants to further develop leadership skills by providing networking opportunities with other goal-oriented women while gaining personal and professional expertise. The mission of this program is to assist women at the beginning and intermediate levels of leadership to grow their leadership skills.
PPI is a training initiative that is offered to educate participants on effective advocacy on the local, state, and federal level. PPI is the educational branch of the advocacy efforts of the JLC and is not issue driven. PPI is a non-partisan program designed to provide JLC members and community partners with training to enhance their effectiveness in the non-profit arena by deepening their understanding of advocacy and relevant public policy issues. The program focuses on educating participants in advocacy and in navigating our local, state, and federal governments to achieve their nonprofit goals. It is an award-winning leadership development program, granted by the Association of Junior Leagues International in 2010. You can sign up for the next session on February 29 here.
Get On Board prepares participants for leadership on local area non-profit boards. Get on Board is a series of trainings designed to help participants successfully navigate the world of non-profit board of director’s membership. This educational program contains 5 sessions which will focus on roles and responsibilities, strategic planning, impact evaluation, engagement, fiduciary responsibilities, fundraising and public policy. Current and former community partners, as well as various local experts involved in non-profit boards, provide training for each session, tailored to their specialty in their current or former board positions.
Attendees graduate the course with the knowledge and skills to confidently contribute to their community as a non-profit board member. Graduates are also given an opportunity to participate in a networking fair with local area non-profits so they can immediately leverage their training into a position on a local board.
Mentor Program connects two or more members who are committed to one another for the duration of one League year. The pair agrees to share time, skills and energy with one another while respecting, listening and imparting knowledge within the relationship. The JLC Mentor Program has been designed to provide benefits to the mentee, mentor, and to the JLC. The mentor relationships work on JLC development, personal development, and professional development. The program aims to further develops the potential of members for leadership, heightens the appreciation of diversity within theLeague, builds lasting relationships, and strengthens loyalty to the JLC!
T&D manages and facilitates educational, personal, and professional development and leadership training events for the JLC’s full membership with the goal of developing league member’s leadership skills and enhancing member satisfaction. They put on Training Tuesdays the first Tuesday of each month at the League building. This year’s theme for T&D: Becoming Leaders. For many, the JLC is a training ground or place of refinement along the journey to other endeavors that will make a difference, thus we are Becoming. For others it will be the development to take the role of leaders in the forefront or strong support in the wings. In either case, we are Leaders.
Leadership Development & Support provides quality needs based training and enrichment workshops to members in leadership at committee levels and beyond to develop League leaders and enhance their leadership skills. This committee provides four training events per year, including a kick off in September, mid-year lift in December, training event in February, and Lead Saturday in April. This year’s Lead Saturday event will be held on April 25, 2020. All JLC leaders will be invited to attend this exciting event.
Membership Meetings Committee plans and implements the logistical aspects of all JLC Membership Meetings, including small group meetings, virtual meetings, and full General Membership Meetings (“GMMs”). This committee works directly with the JLC President to develop agendas that provide updates on the League’s work and offer meaningful training opportunities. The September GMMs taught members how to make a successful JLC elevator pitch in a way that authentically shares members’ stories and the JLC impact. These meetings are a great way to find out about all the other events the JLC is offering, get updates about our work in the community, and see other League members in a social setting.
Still have questions about E&T and the JLC’s training offerings? Reach out to the chairs of each program directly or to E&T Council Manager Whitney Hill and Assistant Manager Nicole Smith.
