For Immediate Release

February 17, 2006
Contact: Becky Fleischauer, 202-220-2360

Atlanta Hosts Nation’s Largest Homeownership and Community Development
Training Institute

Atlanta, GA – February 20-24, Atlanta will host the largest training force of housing and community development advocates in the nation – the NeighborWorks® Training Institute. More than 1,000 community leaders from across the nation will convene to become certified and trained in the most effective ways to increase minority homeownership; improve financial literacy; empower families to get the most out of the homebuying process; and use community development strategies to improve safety and build wealth. The Atlanta institute will feature a first-of-its-kind platform for youth to build community leadership skills and raise awareness about the value the youth voice in community development.

The Wednesday symposium, “Youth Matters: New Voices Energizing Community Development,” is already a standing-room only event with record numbers of registrants. Nearly 300 particpants will take part in the event that will help adults learn how to leverage the skills, insights and energy of young people in communities. And youth will learn how they can create and take advantage of opportunities to make a real impact on the communities in which they live.

“Community leaders from across the country will come to Atlanta to gain new knowledge and experience in homeownership, financial literacy and community development,” said NeighborWorks America Southern District Director Don Phoenix. “The emphasis on youth involvement will be particularly eye-opening for this group, as they hear about provocative ideas and viewpoints directly from youth.”

Atlanta is a prime location for participants learning about affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization and youth community engagement. The Atlanta area boasts five NeighborWorks organizations: Atlanta Mutual Housing Association, Historic District Development Corporation, Reynoldstown Revitalization Corporation, and Cobb Housing Inc. in the outlying community of Marietta and The IMPACT! Group serving Gwinnett County. Cobb Housing, Inc. has one of the nation’s finest YouthBuild programs.

The Institute offers a comprehensive range of courses and an unequaled opportunity to learn from experts and peers in the community development field. Over the course of five days, the Institute will offer more than 80 classes, including a new slate of “green” courses promoting environmentally-friendly and healthier communities. Participants can earn professional certification in eight specialty areas, including homeownership education/counseling and community lending, neighborhood revitalization, and affordable housing development.

In addition to these classes, the Institute will offer:

• Symposium opening remarks from Miss Georgia, Monica Pang, and speeches from Atlanta city leaders, including Atlanta City Council Member Kwanza Hall.
  
• Site visits that show firsthand best practices and challenges in affordable housing and community development, including: “Community Economic Development Principles Practices and Strategies,” “Playing for Keeps: Using Sports to Build and Organize Community,” “Faith Based Community Development Today.”
  
• Workshops and informational sessions Monday through Thursday, including: “Emerging Foreclosure Trends,” “Weed and Seed – Anti-Drug Education for Youth Program” “Attracting Youth & Young Adults to Youth Entrepreneurship Through Innovative Business Simulation,” “Engaging Youth in Community Economic Development Through Sport and Recreation,” and “From Devastation to Hope: NeighborWorks Helps Rebuild Gulf Coast.”
  
• “How to Build Your Skills and Understand Your Community to Change It for the Better” is a specially designed youth class that has tripled in size to accommodate a growing number of youth registrations. This class feeds into or informs and influences Wednesday’s youth symposium.
  
• The “Youth Matters: New Voices Energizing Community Development” Symposium on Wednesday, will feature a youth “SpeakOut” — a forum to demonstrate the value and relevance of youth voice. The agendas of the SpeakOut will be determined by the youth speakers and will highlight a diverse range of critical issues affecting our mission to cultivate youth leadership within our organizations. During this time Adult Allies will be engaged in reflective listening and inquiry.

If you would like to receive media credentials to attend and cover the Training Institute, please contact Becky Fleischauer at bfleischauer@nw.org or 202-220-2360.

About NeighborWorks America

NeighborWorks America provides financial support, technical assistance and training for communities across the nation, including the NeighborWorks network – a nationwide network of more than 240 community development organizations working in more than 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities across America. These organizations engage in revitalization strategies that strengthen communities and transform lives. In the last five years alone, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $10 billion in reinvestment and helped more than 780,000 families of modest means purchase or improve their homes or secure safe, decent rental or mutual housing.