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Case Studies

Coaching Case Study The Rural Community College Initiative Experience

Ken Hubbell and Associates (KHA) has coached various community-based organizations within initiatives of several national funders including the Ford Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. The following case study is an example of some of the coaching work in which KHA has been involved.

Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) Funded by Ford Foundation

Conceptual Framework or Objectives

The Ford Foundation funded 24 multi-county teams, each anchored by a Community College. This initiative worked to strengthen rural community colleges and enhance their ability to build community prosperity through linking education and training, with regional economic development agendas while enhancing institutional capacity.

Key Principles

  • Rural communities matter

  • Communities must focus on assets, not deficiencies

  • Change begins with self-assessment

  • Change requires collaboration

  • Commitments to equity and high expectations are essential for success

Key Assumptions

  • Community colleges are trusted, neutral institutions with the stature and flexibility to lead new investments in building human capital and regional economies.

  • College presidents will lend energy and credibility to new change agendas.

  • Launching a diverse pilot program including Native, African American, Hispanic, and Anglo cultures can test concepts and create new networks and lasting relationships.

  • Extended practitioner networks, written publications, and products could shape rural policy.

      Coaching Strategy

      Each team had a coach, who helped the team remain true to its values and connected the team to ideas and people, including a pool of technical advisors. Coaches had backgrounds in economic development, training, teaching, and facilitation. The coaches were contracted by MDC to help teams carry out strategies, use media resources and outside technical assistance, connect to wider community, and to reflect on process and outcomes.

      KHA's role in the RCCI initiative included designing and facilitating learning institutes and workshops. During these institutes, KHA used several tools to stimulate new ideas and build stronger relationships in order to enhance the groups’ collaborative endeavors.

      How KHA Tools Were Used in this Process

      • Building Blocks of Change: In 1999, KHA developed our first Building Block through our work with MDC. This first Building Block became MDC’s Building Blocks of Community Development. Since then, KHA has developed a comprehensive system of Building Blocks that help groups view their community, region or world and their organization from a broad perspective that includes structures, patterns, and events rather than just the events themselves.

      • Change Mapping: KHA produced dozens of drawings and graphics depicting the history and context of the Initiative. We also used change mapping to visually capture new processes and ideas as they emerged throughout our workshops and institutes.

      MDC Tools Used in this Process

    • Building Community by Design: A resource guide for community change leaders based on MDC's 15 years working at the grassroots level in comprehensive community change efforts.

    • Moving from Vision to Action: strategic planning guide, which was included in Building Community by Design.

    Results

    • New publication detailing lessons learned: In 2003, MDC released a publication, Revitalizing Rural Communities: Lessons from the RCCI, which cites lessons from the RCCI experience. This paper promotes the incorporation of RCCI learnings into other rural community development efforts.

    • Launch of the Community Coaching Roundtable: In 2005, KHA help launch a national learning network of coaches. The purpose of the Community Coaching Roundtable is to share and synthesize lessons learned from initiatives that are using community coaching as a key strategy.

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