Menu Close

CHW Leadership Institute

About:

The Leadership Institute is a strength-based leadership program with the intent to build and develop a cadre of CHW leaders for the state of Minnesota. The Leadership Institute was created to:

  • Serve a diverse cohort of CHWs for training
  • Provide leadership training for current CHWs
  • Provide leadership knowledge, skill, and capacity building for CHWs.
  • Engage CHWs in learning and skill building activities.
  • Assist and support CHWs to practice and advance into leadership positions
  • Connect CHWs across multiple sectors and work sites

Cost: This program is free of charge to CHWs

Goals of the Training:

  • Building personal and professional resources for continued leadership development.
  • Enhancing skills to increase effectiveness to empower individual and community capacity for better health.
  • Increasing leadership skills for individual CHWs.
  • Equipping CHWs to become leaders in their spheres of influence.

“I enjoyed making the professional connections and lifelong friendships. The leadership program is essential. I feel all CHWs should participate.”

Southwest Region: February 2025- July 2025

Location: MN West Community & Technical College Campus (1450 Collegeway, Worthington, MN 56187)
Time: Third Tuesday of the month, February – July, 10am-3pm

  • February 18
  • March 18
  • April 15
  • May 20
  • June 17
  • July 15
Northwest Region: April 2025- September 2025

Location: Bemidji Minnesota on the campus of Northwest Technical College
Dates: Second Tuesday of the month, 10am- 3pm

How to Apply:

Applications are now open for the Southwest Region

History

The Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance has hosted Leadership Institutes in 2016, and 2018-2020. Each Leadership Institute cohort has had different core focus areas but all cohorts have come away with a strengthened sense of their role as a leader in their context as a community health worker.

2018 MNCHWA Leadership Development Institute Cohort

Leadership Cohort Outcomes & Achievements:

  • Recognized their individual leadership abilities and learned new tools to aid in their work.
  • Understood the roles of various partners in their work; CHWs, funders, state agencies, legislators, media, etc.
  • Developed new resources, contacts, and partners to move their priorities and those of their communities forward.
  • Learned processes to engage in high-level change through work with state agencies and policy makers.
  • Took on more leadership roles within their employers and communities.
  • Developed individual Leadership Plans.

“Having the opportunity to learn how valuable CHWs can be in our organizations and how we integrate across the continuum of care was really eye-opening.”

CHW takeaways from Leadership Institute Training

  • I am a Leader
  • If I don’t take action, who will?
  • I have great ideas
  • What I think matters