Leadership Institute Spring Registration is Now Open!

Posted on March 1, 2023

Rural community water board members and staff, water leaders, residents, local governance, and regional water management agency staff are invited to participate in the NEW 2023 Rural Communities Water Managers Leadership Institute hosted by Self-Help Enterprises. The three-month Institute consists of classroom presentations, interactive dialogue, activity-based learning, and a two-day tour of the Kings River watershed. This year’s Leadership Institute offers rural community leaders and regional water management agency staff a long-awaited, unique opportunity to talk with, listen to, and learn from one another.

“It enriched me personally,” said Estela Bustamante, a recent participant from Planada. “It’s easy to take where our water comes from for granted when all you need to do is turn on the faucet. I didn’t realize how much there was to know about our water systems. Whatever stage in life you are, it’s never too late to learn something new.” During the recent flooding of her community in Planada, Estela shared that the Institute’s training also helped her feel more equipped to understand the different circumstances and terms during their evacuation.

As a Parent Liaison at Le Grand High School, Estela plans to use her training to provide an educational seminar for parents. “Our community is surrounded by farmland and is heavily driven by our water resources, yet most residents don’t realize all the dynamics of our water system. It’s important to know how water makes its way into our homes. It would be great to share what I’ve learned to help empower parents and their families.”

The issues facing rural disadvantaged communities in the San Joaquin Valley are complex and multifaceted. Residents and leaders often lack the capacity to effectively lead their communities through hardships they face – usually due to lack of training or opportunity, not lack of heart.

Building on a decade of training nearly 150 rural community leaders, the Leadership Institute will once again teach participants tools, techniques, and strategies to impact positive change in their communities.

Learn more and register today

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Leadership Institute Spring Registration is Now Open!