Before plowing neck-deep into 2010, it’s worth taking some time to reflect on the year that was 2009. We covered a lot of ground in 21inc’s second year and it’s worth documenting our learning and accomplishments as we continue creating opportunities for NB’s and Atlantic Canada’s young leaders. So here’s a Coles Notes version of 2009 with some thoughts on what’s to come in 2010.
How do we better foster the type of leaders with the attitudes and skills relevant for the 21st Century? This was our challenge going into our second 21 Leaders for the 21st Century program. We launched the 2009 edition in April, and with huge assistance from alumni we are much closer to answering our challenge. We increased the skill building component, established partnerships with the Community Nonprofit Organizations Secretariat to work with local nonprofits for the project work, and with the New Brunswick Securities Commission for our Mentorship program. Importantly, we engaged many more people through a selection process that brought 50 of the top young New Brunswickers to Fredericton for a full day of leadership education, policy dialogues and networking. The next event for 2009 21 Leaders will be the Moncton Accelerator, in February, with excellent support from Ernst & Young.
What do young people think about heritage? This was the question we asked to 20 young people on behalf of the Heritage Branch in the Department of Culture, Wellness and Sport. The report has been circulated widely and has sparked a lot of discussion.
Many of our leaders passed personal leadership benchmarks. Many received promotions or moved to positions of heightened responsibility. Several joined Boards of Directors. One Community Solutions Project created a video competition for 6 grade 7 classrooms across the province, an accomplishment we’re particularly proud of. Two published articles in Progress Magazine’s Ideas Issue and one was caught on camera debating big ideas with political leaders David Alward, Kelly Lamrock and Ed Broadbent. We’re documenting all this for a partnership we’re developing with BaseMetrics, a leading company that helps organizations design indicators for better management.
Organizationally in 2009 we doubled our staff (from one to two, that’s a big deal!) by hiring Annik Roy who has become an invaluable member of the team. The board transition was smooth and new members have strong and critical voices. Our public and private sector partners have stuck with us through the bad economy and they deserve a HUGE thank you! We are working so that our ability to provide value back to them is constantly increasing. As we increase our alumni we have access to a bigger and better pool of talent. Moreover, our improved leadership training programs will only deepen 21inc’s impact of building leadership capacity that will be our province and region’s competitive advantage in the 21st Century.
We see 2010 as a pivotal year. We want to engage more young leaders, fast forward their development by 5-10 years, and deepen our partnerships with companies in the region in ways that help them increase their competitiveness and build vibrant communities. This includes our 2010 21 Leaders program, the much anticipated 21inc Ideas Festival version 2.0, this fall, and an exciting program with potentially broad and deep impact that we’re not yet able to divulge details of.
As you can tell, the leaders of tomorrow aren’t waiting.
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