Courageous Leaders Academy Application Page

Year 3: Creating a Culture of Care

COURAGEOUS LEADERS ACADEMY APPLICATION

The Courageous Leaders Academy (CLA) mission is to prepare Santa Rosa Junior College employees to work collaboratively towards being actively anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and radically inclusive to create true community at the District and to support retention of SRJC employees and students. To truly reflect transformative change, healing, and creating a college climate where all students and employees feel welcome, seen, heard, valued and safe, we must lead beyond words and from the heart. Therefore, the focus for the Year 3 cohort will be on Creating a Culture of Care.

 

CLA Testimonials

"In Courageous Leaders Academy, I've learned that true courage stems from empathy, active listening, embracing vulnerability, and fostering a culture of love and inclusion. CLA helps us practice these values, nurturing an environment where titles do not matter and individuals can discover their authentic selves to contribute meaningfully to a collective vision of unity and belonging."

"The third guideline, Practice Self-Focus, from the Community Agreements read at the beginning of each session served as the anchor in my Courageous Leaders Academy journey. Committing to addressing inclusion and diversity in a larger community means recognizing that change begins within myself. It involves confronting the discomfort of my own biases, challenging the normalization of discrimination, and actively working towards creating spaces where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to be their authentic selves. It's a journey that requires ongoing dedication, cultural humility, self-reflection, and a commitment to growth."

"Courageous Leadership Academy creates space for connecting at the heart level by sharing personal stories, fostering strength in vulnerability. The variety of quality speakers was stunning. They educated, guided and challenged us. It has been a magical and transformative experience."

 

 

Academy Logistics

  • The Santa Rosa Junior College Courageous Leadership Academy is a cohort-based program for SRJC employees. The first Courageous Leaders Academy was implemented in 22/23 and the Year 3 Cohort will further the mission of the Academy in 24/25 by co-creating a culture of care at SRJC. The Year 3 Cohort will work to enhance the action projects implemented by the Year 1 and 2 Project Design Teams. Also, CLA academy graduates will be expected to serve as a resource to departments and the District in their project areas in addition to serving as informal mentors to colleagues.
  • Academy sessions begin in October 2024 and continue through May 2025. Participants meet once monthly for 4 hours, generally on the fourth Fridays from 10am-2pm (see variations to the standing sessions dates below). Each session includes training and coaching facilitated by CLA consultants, discussion and interactive experiential learning with time for action project planning. Refreshments will be provided. The sessions will be held in-person at the Santa Rosa campus.
  • Faculty are eligible for flex credit and requests for PGI credit may be submitted by Contract Faculty.
  • Classified Professionals may request Release Time for participation. Supervisor approval required for release time (please see Classified Professional Development Release Time Request form here).
  • Please note that first time CLA applications will be considered first for this Year 3 cohort 
  • Participants who miss more than two sessions will not graduate from the academy

 

Academy Schedule

Friday, October 25, 2024 Session 10am-2pm

CLA Kick off and Program Overview: Creating a Culture of Care (CoC) at SRJC

Session/Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the meaning, importance, and ways to authentically demonstrate and sustain a Culture of Care personally and district-wide.
  • Explore oppressive systemic structures that hinder a Culture of Care and unpack what “culture of care” looks like at SRJC.
  • Learn best practices that are anti-oppressive, promoting responsibility, accountability, collaboration, and true community.
Friday, November 22, 2024 Session 10am-2pm

Action Project and Team Building Day

Session/Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the overall scope of action projects
  • Explore how to identify individual role in facilitating a CoC
  • Get to know all members of design team and their role in facilitating a CoC
Friday, December 13, 2024 Session 10am-2pm

Design Team discussions and 2025 Planning

Session/Learning Objectives:

  • Explore action project ideas, questions, and implementation plans
  • Understand how to incorporate a CoC into action projects
  • Participate in focused action project group coaching with CLA Consultant
Friday, January 24, 2025 Session 10am-2pm

Creating a Culture of Care - Part 2 - Practical Applications/Case Scenarios

Session/ Learning Objectives:

  • Learn how to navigate Change when the stakes are high - The reality and cost of implementing a CoC District wide
  • Understand engagement that facilitates Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-oppression, Accessibility and Justice
  • Participate in the developing and implementing a new guideline for engagement at SRJC in facilitating a Culture of Care
  • Engage in Bridge Builder sessions
Friday, February 28, 2025 Session 10am-2pm

Design Team planning meetings, implementation work, and final presentation outline

Session Objective: All teams will develop and finalize final group presentation for their action project during this session
Friday, March 28, 2025 Session Year 3 10am-2pm

The Role of Equity, Ethical and Reflective Leadership in Creating a Culture of Care

Session/Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the importance and benefits of Value driven leadership
  • Learn the attributes, principles and practices of an Equity, Ethical and Reflective Leader
  • Unpack what equity, ethics and reflective leadership means or looks like at SRJC
  • Learn how to lead from the heart with Grace, Grit, Gratitude, and Growth
Friday, April 25, 2025 Session 10am-2pm

Creating a Culture of Care Part 3: Upholding and sustaining a Culture of Care

Session/Learning Objectives:

  • Learn ways and how to uphold and sustain a CoC in our respective roles
  • Explore how we can institutionalize a CoC at SRJC
  • Discuss and reflect on learnings and discuss questions about how to realistically start creating a Culture of Care as Year 3 CLA Cohort beyond the projects.
  • Finalize graduation presentation planning
Friday, May 16, 2025 (10am-2pm)

CLA Graduation Day