Click here to view the 2012 proposed class schedule.
The Opening Retreat
We set the tone for the entire class year with a two-day session in which participants get to know each other, discuss the goals for the year and learn how to build a team that can work together effectively. We use a variety of informative ( and often entertaining) instruments to help them better understand their own strengths and challenges, as well as how to work with people whose strengths and challenges are different. They discuss issues facing Hendricks County and are divided into teams to investigate and address the issues they feel are most important.
Business, Industry & Transportation Day
Hendricks County has a remarkably diverse business community, and this day is devoted to learning about the many types of challenges businesses in the county face and the resources available to help them. From family-owned manufacturers to the ever-growing retail presence to companies that do business globally, participants develop a better understanding of why businesses chose Hendricks County, how they attract the right types of workers, and the training their employees need. In addition, they discover the critical and growing importance of - and issues related to - various forms of transportation.
Economic Development Day
Participants receive hands-on exposure to the many dimensions of economic development through a role-playing exercise. Class members take on the role of planning and zoning officials, town manager/mayors, school superintendents, economic development directors, and chamber of commerce directors in fictitious Profit County. Divided in three communities with different characteristics and resources, they compete to attract new businesses. Representatives meet with the towns to discuss their company's needs and review the incentives the towns offer before deciding where to relocate.
State Government Day
The Indiana Statehouse is the site of a day in which the class interacts with the legislators who represent Hendricks County and discusses current issues and opportunities. Participants learn about (and observe) the legislative process, and talk with a lobbyist to learn the important role they play. A key lesson learned is that the most influential "lobbyists" in the state are the individual citizens who take the time to contact legislators.
County Government Day
The class visits the Hendricks County Government Center to develop a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of town, township and county leaders. In addition to talking with elected officials from a variety of levels, participants learn about the many county offices, the areas they oversee, and the challenges they content with.
Helping Hands Day
Participants learn about the different ways people from various generations view matters and approach work. Then, they're divided into family groups with specific challenges. After brief presentations by several social service providers, the groups identify which providers can best address their challenges, and meet with them to see what happens to real-world Hendricks County families in similar situations.
Quality of Life Day
Participants embark on a tour that examines quality of life issues throughout Hendricks County. After firsthand demonstrations of the county's public safety resources, class members climb on a bus to travel from county line to county line. Along the way, experts explain the importance of quality of life issues as they relate to economic development. As participants visit everything from parks and natural resources to facilities that handle waste, they deepen their understanding of these issues and experience the county's diversity through their own eyes.
Education Day
From taxpayers to parents to employers to the student themselves, everyone is affected by the educational system in Hendricks County. Class members learn more about the many aspects of local education; not just the well-known public school systems, but also the parochial, home and alternative schools, as well as vocational, postsecondary and workforce training programs and library programs.
Roots of Growth Day
For its first 175 years, Hendricks County's economy revolved primarily around agriculture, and agribusiness continues to play a significant role. The class visits a local farm to experience firsthand the differences between typical perceptions of traditional agriculture and the high-tech business with global impact it has become. After looking back on the county's history, the class participates in a visioning activity to develop a view of the future, and learns skills for coping with the challenges of intergenerational dynamics.
Judicial System Day
During Quality of Life Day, the class learned about part of the legal system. On this day, they'll have firsthand exposure to the work of local attorneys, prosecutors and judges. They'll see initial hearings and trials, and learn more about everything involved with the adult and juvenile probation process, as well as programs such as work release and home detention.
Closing Retreat
This two-day session represents the end of the program, but it's just the beginning of the participants' future community involvement. They'll reflect on the events of the year and how they'll use their new knowledge. Class members will learn other important skills and information related to diversity, media relations, conflict resolution and managing meetings, with a final lesson that focuses on effective time management before they become successful Leadership Hendricks County alumni.
|
