Institute Trainings Build Better Coalitions

For many new and veteran community organizations, developing strategies that have substantial impacts on a community can be a difficult task. The coalition concept is based on the collaboration between many different sectors of a local community, requiring coalition leaders to develop strong plans for local implementation and sustainability.

Through a variety of CADCA Institute’s sponsored training events, community organizers acquire strong skill sets and planning strategies necessary for producing population-level change in their communities. Institute trainings help newer coalition leaders develop sustainable systems of organization and community outreach and more experienced coalitions improve the efficiency of their current strategies.

“Coalition leaders not only increase their individual knowledge, but take information back to their communities that increases capacity knowledge,” Kareemah Abdullah, Deputy Director of Training and Technical Assistance for CADCA’s National Coalition Institute and its Vice President of Training and Youth Programs, said. “They can make informed decisions and develop a tangible process they can replicate.”

Central to the successful management and development of the Institute’s training services is Abdullah whose department coordinates Institute training requests and develop and improve new programs. She ensures that new trainings and programs are organized efficiently and the needs of trainers, coalitions and the Institute are met.

Abdullah began her career in prevention training as a grantee consultant for the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, eventually serving as Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta-based Genesis Prevention Coalition. She brought over 20 years of experience in corporate management and training and over 12 years in coalition prevention work to CADCA’s Institute to develop the structure and training processes for the nationwide National Coalition Academy and National Youth Leadership Initiative.

Institute trainings vary in size, topic and scope ranging from larger conferences, such as the Mid-Year Training Institute, to smaller state and regional trainings. The Institute offers fee-for-service trainings as well as a year-long National Coalition Academy and NYLI that are available to coalitions free of charge, providing participating coalitions with a high-value education at a low cost.
 

In programs such as the Academy, coalition members combine trainer instruction and focused personal coaching with hands-on work and collaboration with other participants. Coalitions can network and establish relationships with other coalitions to develop environmental strategies and action plans. According to Abdullah, having visible logic models, plans and strategies available to the community allows its members to see their involvement and increase local participation and enthusiasm. Coalitions can direct these plans towards real community outcomes, such as successful government advocacy, federal grant funds, and new partnerships.

“If I had known back then what the National Coalition Academy offers now, I would have been able to do more good work at a much faster rate,” Abdullah said. “The strategies, materials and hand-on activities our trainings offer help coalitions develop experience that is easy to use, track and bring about population-level change.”

For more information on Institute-sponsored training sessions and services, contact the Training and Technical Assistance department at training@cadca.org or 800-54-CADCA, Ext. 240.