At a recent Community Voices training in Greenville, NC, community leaders from across the state gathered to learn techniques for facilitating community conversation. This training, offered free-of-charge by the Cooperative Extension at NC A&T University, is designed to teach dedicated community members the skills to lead community conversations that create solutions. There are four main goals:

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• Build a community vision through shared group leadership

• Work together as a group to communicate your vision

• Learn how to approach community issues in a methodical, systematic way

• Develop a plan to continue working on your vision at the local level

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At the training in Greenville, participants focused on promoting youth voices. They began their training by learning about different leadership styles, and how to best lead a group of community members. Next, they learned how to create a community vision. They described the different issues facing their communities, and developed a shared plan to address those issues. Finally, they learned how to take these lessons back to their communities. They left with new knowledge about leading, developing leadership skills in others, and addressing issues through a community-based approach.