The Center for Global Urban leadership (CGUL) provides global learning communities for leaders who desire to better serve those they lead, and who seek to bring transformational change to the cities, regions and cultures of the world. 

Why a Learning Community?

People learn best when they engage a subject or an issue together. Iron sharpens iron is the saying from the Hebrew Scriptures. CGUL forms learning communities where people from a variety of sectors in business, education, ministry, government, and not-for-profit look at their community through a variety of lenses to learn how transformational leadership changes people, places, and systems.

Positive change is healthy and needed in our communities.  Changes are needed in the individual lives of the people who form our communities, and also in the systems that should serve them.  CGUL Learning Communities are a microcosm, tailored to meet the unique leadership needs and goals of each individual participant.  Capitalizing on the personal journeys, skills, experiences and affinity of the participants, each CGUL Learning Community fosters interchange between leaders from the West and from the Majority World as peers.  Participants engage in applied research and catalytic educational activities designed to foster deeper understanding, sage strategy devel­opment, and to help each participant investigate and apply the biblical Jesus leadership model to their own life and situation.

The Learning Community provides an environment where:

• Participants engage in active learning in concert with their professional and personal goals;
• Teachers become learners at times, and learners sometimes teach;
• Respect and value is given to every participant and person;
• Projects and questions are designed to interest and challenge each participant;
• Diversity is celebrated, and all honest contributions are appreciated;
• Participants expand on their skills for relationship building and conflict resolution;
• Members draw upon their past experience and share their knowledge;
• Personal goals are clearly identified and used as a guide to enhance the curricu­lum;
• In addition to Learning Community and the formal structure of the curriculum, partici­pants also have access to key resource people, and a variety of research tools includ­ing books and studies, not-yet published research and texts, media materials and Internet access, all of which are integral to the learning experience;
• Participants are invested in their own learning because it is real-world, personally beneficial and applicable, and intensely relevant to their life situation.

Learning Community Orientation, Road Map, and Learning Contract

Every Learning Community is unique. Each Learning Community begins the engagement through an orientation process (typically a two-day experience) where Center facilitators help participants explore the scope and duration of the Learning Community. During this orientation participants will be briefed on the upcoming field experience, transformational leadership principles, learning objectives for the LC, determine the duration of the particular Learning Community (Duration may vary based on field experience or experiences), and develop a Learning Contract.

Online Component

Leaders are connected globally and regularly interact with others from many regions of the world, it is vital for leaders to learn how to effectively communicate through the use of online tools. The online experience teaches participants how to develop and maintain conversations, relationships, and networks globally. This online portion of the learning-action community involves reading and discussions regarding some of the best literature available today.

Life and Purpose Assessment
The Center realizes that simply adding knowledge without assessing our experiences, goals, and life development will lead to truncated learning rather than building on a lifetime of learning. The assessment tracks past experiences, present realities, and future dreams.

Field Experience
The best way to learn is by seeing, listening, and doing rather than simply being filled with information delivered in a classroom setting. Our classrooms are cities and communities of the world. These experiences will expose participants to some of the best models of transformational leadership. Participants will also track their personal learning growth by interacting with others and journaling during the field experience.

Post Field Experience Review: Personal & Community Leadership Life Plan
After the field experience, participants will be asked to continue their learning by working online with fellow community members reporting what they are learning and how their views of leadership, urban, and global perspectives are changing and will begin to assess how they will develop an ongoing life action plan for engaging global urban leadership.

Global Engagement Assignment: Community of Action
At the conclusion of the learning community, participants will be asked to join a Community of Action to engage global urban leadership for a life time. They will also be given the opportunity to become a Senior Fellow or Fellow as an ongoing member of the Center for Global Urban Leadership.

For more information on joining a global learning community: