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Grassroots Leadership Training: A Case Study of an Effort to Integrate Theory and Method

Summary The breakdown of community in poor and working-class urban neighborhoods is well documented. Most efforts to rebuild a sense of community assign a major role to indigenous leaders. The development of critically conscious group-centered leaders best fits the contemporary grassroots neighborhood context. The challenge for the teacher/trainer who embraces this approach is to align methodology and philosophy so that they reflect and reinforce each other. In a case study of one such program, the following methodological elements were identified as critical: rituals of engagement; the sharing of power; a culture of participation characterized by safety, respect, and high expectations; and skillful, yet humble, facilitation to create solidarity and equality within the group. These dimensions led to the emergence of a community of learners in which the participants took significant risks in their development as leaders.