Leading Healthy Community Connections is a leadership development program that grew from CEDIK facilitated Policy Systems and Environment work with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program  audiences through the Nutrition Education Program.   The leadership program is designed to facilitate community members in discovering their own assets and talents and then apply them to issues within their community.  Leading Healthy Community Connections is a five-meeting leadership development series based on the book "That is Not How We Do It Here" by John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber (2016). Building from the book story line about organizational leadership, participants are asked to apply the concepts to their community systems and design an intervention for change.  The curriculum was first piloted in Lincoln County by Extension Agent Rita Stewart. While the pilot group was small, Rita noted, “the program gave them skills to plan projects. It looked at all parts of the planning change process. It gave everyone on the program a responsibility.“  As a part of the curriculum, participants were asked to visit with people in leadership roles to explore community systems that support health. In doing so, participants were purposeful to broaden their social connections within the community, learn more about community health, and engage in solution finding activities. In a program reflection, Rita shared, “This program gives them voice and connection to their community. They see how they can make a difference.”

The curriculum is being tested again with a larger groups in Lincoln and Pendleton County in the Spring of 2019.