Leadership Accelerator
Program
Apply leadership and design thinking tools and share ideas with others to make progress on a complex challenge or opportunity faced by your organization.
This focused, practical program begins with work defining a real issue facing each participants’ parks or protected areas organization, followed by learning skills and accessing experts and resources to support the development of a way forward. Participants engage in directed learning, active participation in online forums, and live guest workshops, all tailored to issues facing the group. Participants will collaborate with peers from other agencies and organized to exchange ideas. At the conclusion of the program, participants will present a proposal to a diverse panel of park leadership experts for feedback and to spark action.
Who is it for?
Participants considering the Park Leaders Accelerator Program should be experienced leaders in decision- making roles in parks and protected areas who are currently facing complex challenges or opportunities in their work and could benefit from a structured development process enhanced by external knowledge and resources and cross-jurisdictional collaboration.
This program builds upon concepts from the Park Leaders Development Program such as interdisciplinary knowledge, design thinking, and social capital and applies them to the issues facing each individual and their organization. Participants will create an action-oriented proposal for their chosen challenge or opportunity and present it to a panel for feedback—not to solve the problem but to better understand how they might lead through it. Diverse personal and professional perspectives will enrich this process and are sincerely welcomed.
Program runs in English with simultaneous interpretation of workshops available if required.
Program Timeline and Commitments
October 1st to December 1st pre-Accelerator preparation (~ 4 hours total): Participants will meet and work with facilitator to define their challenge or opportunity so CPCIL can coordinate useful and relevant resources.
December 1st to April 30th Accelerator activities (~2 hours per week):
Participants must attend an online launch meeting and one accelerator workshop each month, complete regular milestone activities such as design steps and reflections, participate in online forums and peer-review sessions, and attend informal weekly online check-in meetings with the group and facilitator.
May 1st to May 30th Accelerator proposal and revisions (~2 hours per week):
Participants will present a proposal for action on their challenge or opportunity to a panel and will provide feedback to the proposals of other Accelerator participants. They will also work with the facilitator to refine their proposal for presentation to their own agency.
Participants require internet and webcam access and must commit to avoiding distractions during sessions, participating fully in independent tasks. Projects will be based on real-world challenges and opportunities and confidentiality among the cohort is expected. Program resource material will be shipped in advance.