The Central City South Community is the home of 13 urban, historic neighborhoods and parks adjacent to Phoenix, Arizona. We are a culturally diverse community with about 17,000 residents. Approximately 75% of our residents are Hispanic/Latino. The majority of the residents living in our community live below the poverty line. We are blessed, however, with strong residential leaders and stakeholder groups who help build a sense of community, connectivity and hope among our residents. Our Communities for All Ages team has sought to leverage this asset and build the leadership capacity of local residents as a key strategy for building community, opportunities and economic development in Central City South.
One of the most successful aspects of our initiative has been the development of the Community Leadership Academy. Now in its 6th year, the academy provides capacity building, training and support to an intergenerational group of leaders. The academy focuses on how to increase residents’ awareness of community resources, and how to use intergenerational strategies as a means to work for community change. To date, 20 academy classes have trained 183 residents aged 12-72. Our Communities for all Ages coalition has strong representation from all 13 neighborhoods, creating a well connected and cohesive network to support our effort in creating community change and economic development.