Elevate Leadership Academy is an 8-month collaborative learning experience designed to equip mid to upper-level leaders for the challenges of today and tomorrow. Our timely and relevant content focuses on individual leadership development while mastering the art of leading others.
Elevate Leadership Academy graduates will level-up their self-awareness, expand their leadership effectiveness, and make a significant impact in their organization and the Cedar Valley.
What You’ll Learn
It’s important that your investment of time yields a big return! Graduates of Elevate Leadership Academy will walk away with enhanced knowledge and skills to lead more effectively.
Elevate Leadership Academy includes two strands of learning and development: Leading You and Leading Others. We will cover elements from both strands in each of our eight sessions. Click here for more details on the course content you’ll experience!
Leading You- To tap into the greatness of others, you must first tap into your own. Elevate Leadership Academy will enhance your emotional intelligence, empower you with a growth mindset, increase personal accountability, and emphasize your wellness as a leader.
Leading Others- To mobilize your team to greatness, you must first develop the skills to lead them. Elevate Leadership Academy will strengthen your capacity to develop individuals and teams, improve your communication, and foster well-being among your team.
Details to Know
Eligibility
Elevate Leadership Academy is for current Cedar Valley leaders within private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Ideal Elevate candidates have demonstrated leadership experience and are committed to leveling up their leadership and making an increased impact in their current and future professional and community roles.
Session Dates/Location
Elevate Leadership Academy meets the 3rd Tuesday of the month from October 2024 to May 2025. The March session will take place on March 11th due to spring break. Each session will be from 7:30AM to 4:30PM. The Elevate kickoff dinner, session one, and graduation are mandatory sessions. All sessions will be held at our Venue Sponsor, Diamond Event Center in Cedar Falls.
Tuition
Tuition for Elevate Leadership Academy is $2,800, must be paid prior to the first session, and is non-refundable. Tuition covers all program materials, meals and snacks, online assessments, and one Leadership Accelerator course.
Tuition cost should not prohibit an individual from benefiting from Elevate Leadership Academy. There are limited scholarships available that will offset the cost of participation. Participants eligible for the scholarship include those representing nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs, underrepresented or marginalized communities, or K-12 educators. More information on scholarships can be found in the Elevate application.
Application Timeline
Early registration is recommended as class size is limited. Participant selection will be based on order of application received.
May 1, 2024 – Applications Open
August 16, 2024 – Participants notified of acceptance into Elevate Leadership Academy
October 14, 2024- Elevate kickoff dinner
FAQ
Yes! Leader Valley is a 501c3. Our EIN is 45-3120883. All income generated through Elevate Leadership Academy is used to fund the Leader in Me program in our Cedar Valley schools. This means that while you are refining and growing your leadership skills to bring back to your workplace, you are also directly supporting our PreK-12 students who are developing the leadership and employability skills they need to be the future leaders of your company.
We encourage you to share this Elevate Leadership Academy flier with your employer to educate them about the goals and advantages of the program. You may also refer your employer to talk with our Executive Director, Dr. Melissa Reade, if they have specific questions or concerns. Melissa can be contacted at melissa@leadervalley.org.
Participants are asked to make every effort to attend all sessions. If you must miss one, advance notice is encouraged. Elevate participants will be allowed two absences for the duration of the Academy. Please note, the Elevate kickoff dinner, session one, and graduation are mandatory sessions.
| October 14, 2024 | Elevate Kickoff Dinner (5:00PM – 8:00PM) |
| October 15, 2024 | Session 1 (7:30AM – 4:30PM) |
| November 19, 2024 | Session 2 (7:30AM – 4:30PM) |
| December 17, 2024 | Session 3 (7:30AM – 4:30PM) |
| January 21, 2025 | Session 4 (7:30AM – 4:30PM) |
| February 18, 2025 | Session 5 (7:30AM – 4:30PM) |
| March 11, 2025* | Session 6 (7:30AM – 4:30PM) |
| April 15, 2025 | Session 7 (7:30AM – 4:30PM) |
| May 20, 2025 | Session 8 (7:30AM – 4:30PM) |
| May 22, 2025 | Elevate Graduation (5:00PM – 8:00PM) |
*Session 6 will be held on the second Tuesday of the month due to spring break.
Elevate Leadership Academy participants commit to the following:
- Attend one full-day session each month for eight months. Participants are asked to make every effort to attend all sessions. If you must miss one, advance notice is encouraged. Elevate participants will be allowed two absences for the duration of the Academy. Please note that the Elevate kickoff dinner, session one, and graduation are mandatory events.
- Attend one full-day Leadership Accelerator course of your choice. You may choose from the following:
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (December 4, 2024 or March 25, 2025)
- Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter (February 11, 2025)
- Inclusive Leadership: Practical Ways to Cultivate Inclusion and Build a Better Team (April 24, 2025)
- Attend the evening kickoff dinner on Tuesday, October 14th, 2024 (5:00PM – 8:00PM)
- Attend the graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 (5:00PM – 8:00PM
- Identify a mentor/manager who will be a thought partner with you
- Complete pre-work between sessions. This may include light assigned reading, leadership assessments, individual work, connecting with your mentor/manager, or connecting with your Elevate Triad.
- Be present and engaged in Elevate sessions
Tuition cost should not prohibit an individual from benefitting from Elevate Leadership Academy. There are limited scholarships available that will offset the cost of participation. Participants eligible for the scholarship include those representing nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs, underrepresented or marginalized communities, or K-12 educators. If you would like to be considered for a scholarship, there will be a question in the application packet for you to complete.
Elevate Leadership Academy was created in response to Cedar Valley Leadership Institute participants requesting more leadership training following their CVLI experience. It was developed with the support of Grow Cedar Valley.
Elevate was planned by an incredible taskforce of Cedar Valley leaders representing a variety of industries in conjunction with the Leader Valley team. The founding team included:
- Kelsey Burke- VGM
- Stephanie Detweiler- Grow Cedar Valley
- Katie Hillyer- Wayne Communications
- Shantavia Parker- Leader Valley
- Kendra Richman- UnityPoint Health
- Kyle Roed- CPM Roskamp
- Shante Wallican-Nesbit- Collins Community Credit Union
Thank you to our Elevate sponsors!
Venue Sponsor
