3. Community Empowerment

When you are establishing a program that has the potential to change major aspects of the community, you must enlist members of the community to provide support or your program will fail. Identify those locals that have the potential to be great leaders, and nurture their skills so they can help you truly make a difference. You should be prepared to educate them in any manner necessary, be it in public advocacy, community mobilization, legal matters, specific community demographics, etc. Provide literature and other materials on the ill effects of environmental tobacco smoke so that they may become educated supporters of your cause. Try to provide as much detailed information as possible about their specific community: personalizing dangers promptsquicker and more universal action. Collect demographics about the community so that staff may incorporate relevant information into program design. You may need to provide technical assistance for those unfamiliar with technology. In addition, you shouldalso provide specific tools that your program will need to use to evaluate its success. In the beginning, outline what action steps will be necessary to accomplish your goals in order that the community may tell you upfront what assistance they will be requiring. Once you have established your program’s methodology, make sure the community feels comfortable that they are able to perform the specific tasks. The easiest way to do this is to provide educational materials and to also be prepared to offer examples of “role model communities.” These role model communities should be similar to the current community, and should have previously implemented a successful program that is similar to yours. Promote the “If they can do it, we can do it” attitudebybeing passionate and confident in your knowledge and presentation of your cause. Finally, partner with other local and national groups that are working toward similar goals in order to promote a feeling of wider initiative. Partnering offers means of wider community mobilization and awareness, and also expands your available resources.

Skill Areas:
A Ability to identify, nurture and develop leadership skills in local citizens so that community members can truly make a difference

B Ability topartner with programs already in place within the community to achieve goals

C Ability to provide motivating, population-specific data and information that community leaders can use to achieve program objectives

D Ability to work with community members in identifying specific action steps that lead to goal accomplishment

E Ability to engage community members in the implementation of action steps that have been identified

F Ability to provide technical assistance and tools to local people so theycan accomplish their priorities and goals