Subject: IDEAL 2009 Application Now Available Online Dear Friends, The Great Valley Center is currently recruiting candidates for the 2009 class of the Institute for the Development of Emerging Area Leaders (IDEAL). Applications are due on Friday, October 3rd. Tomorrow¹s elected officials, commission members, and organization heads are emerging today, in the neighborhood organizations, businesses, and nonprofit groups of the Valley. By fostering their development, the region can ensure a cadre of qualified leaders who will reflect the diversity of its communities. The IDEAL program is targeted to emerging leaders from underrepresented and rural communities by taking a unique, issues-based approach to fostering diverse and collaborative community leadership in the Central Valley. This program brings together a diverse group of twenty community volunteers and leaders to address a wide variety of issues important to people of the Central Valley. In each of the two or three-day monthly, weekend seminars, IDEAL Fellows will work with experts, exploring issues important to the region through presentations, field studies, small-group discussions and group activities. The class of Fellows will bring a wide range of experiences, backgrounds and perspectives to the discussions and together, they will develop a greater understanding of the complex issues facing their communities. The next IDEAL class will run from January to June 2009. The deadline for applications is Friday, October 3, 2008. The tenth class of IDEAL Fellows graduated this past June. There are currently 181 alumni, many of whom have assumed greater leadership roles in their neighborhoods and communities. Manuel Alvarado, Programs Manager of the Great Valley Center, will be happy to speak with you or any potential candidate, or set up a meeting with an alumnus of the IDEAL program. Please contact him at (209) 522-5103 or [log in to unmask] for more information. Applications are also available at http://ideal.greatvalley.org <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j= 224763881&u=2351494> . The IDEAL program is a rare and rewarding opportunity for anyone who wants to improve his/her own community. Scholarships are available on a needs basis, which makes this program one of the best regional leadership opportunities anywhere. I hope you'll consider the Great Valley's IDEAL program as a chance to develop your skills and learn about this amazing region. Sincerely, David Hosley ³Where are the Jeffersons and Lincolns of today? I am convinced that they are among usout there in the settings with which we are all familiar are the unawakened leadershardly aware of their potential.²- John Gardner You are subscribed to this list as [log in to unmask] Click here <mailto:unsubscribe.281048.224763881.1383915164935060955-SUreno_csustan.edu@ en.groundspring.org> to unsubscribe, or send email to [log in to unmask] dspring.org. Our postal address is 201 Needham Street Modesto, California 95354 United States ------ End of Forwarded Message