The need for an elite forum to educate and encourage new leaders was first recognized in the late 1980s by several prominent members of the Pocono community. These original founders began to identify promising and proven professionals who could positively impact not-for-profit and social service agencies while creating a program that would prepare them for board service and other leadership activities. From their vision and efforts, Leadership Pocono (LP) was born and quickly became an invaluable resource to the region.
Building on a proven program, Northampton Community College's Center for Business and Industry experts spent more than a year researching, surveying, and redesigning Leadership Pocono. The results of these efforts are a totally revamped and refocused leadership program for the next generation of community leaders in the greater Pocono region.
Leadership Pocono is a distinguished forum for leadership development, regional and nonprofit education, and professional networking. The program is specially designed to bolster the leadership capabilities of individuals who participate. It nurtures a sense of responsibility and commitment to apply these learned skills to the benefit of our community.
Participants in the program will...
- Learn the best practices of effective leaders in order to benefit their organizations;
- Develop a deeper understanding of the problems, opportunities and resources existing within the communities of the Pocono region;
- Identify a field of community involvement for which they can advocate, support and/or serve
LP participants are . . .
People who are looking for ways to enhance their leadership skills, and people who are interested in learning more about the region and how it operates in terms of Government, Education, Social Services and Culture among other topics. Participants actively engage in their own learning.
Program Specifics
The program runs for a total of 11 days over 10 months, one day a month from September until June. The only exception is the October session, which is a mandatory two day leadership retreat. Beyond the scheduled program, participants will manage their own outside class time as needed to complete their team assignments. Program days typically run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are times that participants will be on site visits or will be engaged in volunteer work. The dates for the class of '25 are listed below:
- September 13, 2024
- October 17 and 18, 2024 (2 day leadership retreat)
- November 8, 2024
- December 13, 2024
- January 10, 2025
- February 7, 2025
- March 7, 2025
- April 11, 2025
- May 9, 2025
- June 6, 2025
LP is an open enrollment program of CBI. Participants are often nominated by their organizations to attend, but people may also enroll themselves. Class size is limited to 25 participants. If the class is full, you can be waitlisted in the event of a cancellation or you can be put on the roster for the next class.
Tuition for the ten-month program is $2,600 per person, to be paid at the time of registration. Payment reserves a place on the program roster. Tuition covers all costs associated with the program including training, materials and meals.
Benefits
Professional
Participants will benefit from a 10 month long leadership immersion program. While a goal of LP is to prepare leaders to serve and be instrumental in sustaining a healthy community in the Pocono region, the leadership and networking opportunities will also benefit the organization. Participants will serve and represent your organization to the broader region. LP is a very unique learning lab for leadership and participants will apply their learnings back to their paying job.
Personal
Participants will be able to immediately apply their leadership learnings to their jobs. Other benefits are focused on networking and getting to know other classmates, learning about the Pocono region and joining an impressive network of alumni - people who are involved in and care about their community.
Beyond LP . . .
Many participants will join nonprofit boards in the Pocono region. Others will become volunteers and advocates for issues about which they are passionate. All participants will be encouraged to actively engage in helping sustain a healthy and vibrant Pocono region. For more information on Leadership Pocono, please contact workforce@northampton.edu or call 610-861-5064.
