Neighbor Leadership Academy

The City of Fort Lauderdale’s Neighbor Leadership Academy(PDF, 444KB) (NLA) builds community by educating neighbors about various city functions and equips them with leadership skills to become effective neighborhood leaders.

Overview

The Neighbor Leadership Academy is a program designed for neighbors to learn more about the City and develop their leadership skills over five consecutive weeks. Each cohort will include up to 20 neighbors who are either new to civic engagement or have been actively volunteering in their neighborhood or with the City. At the end of the program, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion and be officially recognized before the Fort Lauderdale City Commission. To take learning into action, participants will complete a community service project at the end of the program.

Neighbor Leadership Academy - Class 14

Fall 2025

The Neighbor Leadership Academy will be returning for it's 14th Class this Fall. Classes will be held on six consecutive Wednesday evenings: At the George English Community Center.

Thinking of joining? Here is what our alumni had to say...

"The Neighborhood Leadership Academy has been a fantastically well-organized program that helps to develop stronger everyday leadership skills and a better understanding of our local city and how it functions. I would recommend this to anyone that lives in our city.” – John Mulroy

“The Neighbor Leadership Academy provides information on the various city departments. How they function and provide services to the neighbors. The Academy also teaches the tools necessary to improve your own leadership skills, and how to use them and encourage and develop leadership in others. This encourages stronger neighborhood leadership, and in partnership with the city, we, "Build Community"!” – Dennis Ulmer

Participation Requirements

To be considered for the Neighbor Leadership Academy you must:

  1. Be at least of 18 years of age.
  2. Be a resident of the City of Fort Lauderdale.
  3. Be willing to commit to all five workshops from 6 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  4. Be able to participate in a class community project, with a minimum commitment of 5 hours.

Curriculum

Topics include:

  • City Structure and Climate Resiliency
  • Budgeting and Innovation
  • Ethics and Technology
  • Public Safety and Emergency Management
  • Fort Lauderdale's Future and Community Engagement

For more information or to apply, contact Neighbor Support at NeighborSupport@fortlauderdale.gov or 954-828-5063.

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