About This Group: INVST COMMUNITY STUDIES serves students at the University of Colorado-Boulder, as well as high school students in the Boulder area. We believe in the possibility of a just and sustainable world. INVST Community Studies programs develop engaged citizens and leaders who work for the benefit of humanity and the environment. In order to fulfill our mission, we offer: • A comprehensive two-year Community Leadership Program that develops community leaders who engage in compassionate action as a lifetime commitment; • Community Studies Electives that foster civic responsibility and leadership potential; • A Youth Council for Public Policy that empowers students to use the democratic process as a tool for positive social change. In our educational programs, students integrate academic coursework and community service. Since our inception in 1990, we have collaborated with more than 350 different community-based organizations addressing needs in the U.S. and abroad. Much of our success results from the first-hand experience students receive while working with non-governmental organizations. We utilize participatory education methods to empower students for active public lives, and service learning to expose students to the root causes of problems and solution-based strategies for sustainable social change. The INVST Community Leadership Program (CLP) The INVST Community Leadership Program (CLP) is our flagship program. The Community Leadership Program is a life-altering educational experience that exposes students to what is and cultivates them as leaders to work for what could be. Each year, we admit up to 16 University of Colorado at Boulder students who are committed to making a positive difference with their lives. INVST CLP students are comprehensively trained by their exposure to varied learning opportunities over the course of two years. Specifically, students attend four theory classes, four skills-training classes, and two month long summer service learning experiences, one domestic and one international. In addition, students serve at least six hours each week as volunteer staff members with community-based organizations in internships in their first year, and collectively design, implement and evaluate community leadership projects during their second year. Throughout the program, students critically reflect on concepts and theories in areas such as leadership, social change, democracy, nonviolence, globalization and development. In addition, students learn and practice skills such as meeting facilitation, collaborative decision-making, conflict resolution, fundraising, organizing, and public speaking. Students also participate with staff in policy-making for the program through a consensus-based Directors’ Committee. Upon completion, students receive the University of Colorado Certificate in the Study and Practice of Leadership. They are also eligible to receive education awards from AmeriCorps. Community Studies Electives INVST Community Studies Electives foster civic responsibility and leadership potential. The courses we offer include “Responding to Social and Environmental Problems Through Service Learning,” “Innovative Approaches to Contemporary Issues through Service Learning,” and “Multicultural Leadership.” Most Community Studies Electives satisfy core curriculum requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences, and all provide a sense of community in the classroom. The Youth Council for Public Policy Our Youth Council for Public Policy is designed for college and high school students who learn and serve together with civic leaders. Formed in collaboration with former Colorado State Senator Dorothy Rupert, the Youth Council is a non-partisan program designed to engage young people in the democratic process as responsible citizens and advocates for their generation. By participating in our Youth Council courses, “Using the Electoral Process as a Tool for Positive Social Change” and “Civic Engagement: Democracy as a Tool for Social Change,” students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to think critically and participate effectively in our democracy. Through a two-course sequence, students learn the basic workings of the U.S. political system, as well as tools for competent civic engagement such as grassroots lobbying. They are empowered through first-hand experiences analyzing current legislative issues and crafting solution-based policy recommendations that represent youth perspectives. For more information or to donate, please visit us at http://www.colorado.edu/communitystudies. You may also call us at 303-492-7719.