Community Partners of South Florida (CPSFL) and a team of resident leaders from Riviera Beach successfully completed the prestigious NeighborWorks America Community Leadership Institute (CLI) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, held from October 30 to November 2.
The resident team, composed of parents participating in the BRIDGES at Riviera Beach program, spent three days refining their leadership skills and developing a comprehensive action plan for local change. Their efforts culminated in securing a $4,000 NeighborWorks grant to implement their project over the next ten months.
The team will launch “Skate at Tate,” a community event designed to engage teens and their parents. The initiative aims not only to bring Riviera Beach teens together for positive interactions but also to serve as a hub for sharing vital resources with parents. The team hopes to partner with the City of Riviera Beach to establish “Skate at Tate” as an annual event.
“The Community Leadership Institute is impactful because it puts power directly into the hands of the people who know their neighborhoods best: the residents,” said Kelly Powell, CEO of Community Partners of South Florida. “We firmly believe that invested resident leadership is the backbone of truly resilient and thriving communities. When residents are deeply engaged, they create strong communities that drive sustainable change from within.”
NeighborWorks America’s Community Leadership Institute is an annual, invitation-only training program that strengthens the voices and skills of community, resident, and volunteer leaders from across the U.S., D.C., and Puerto Rico. NeighborWorks America awards more than $200,000 annually for community-based projects born out of the CLI. CPSFL, the only NeighborWorks America affiliate in Palm Beach County and one of 12 in Florida, has been sending resident groups to the CLI since 2010.
