Learning and Operationalizing Racial Equity (LORE) pilot program offers second year cohort through generous funding from the Chicago Community Trust
The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, UIC Great Cities Institute and Illinois City/County Management Association are proud to announce a second cohort of the Learning and Operationalizing Racial Equity (LORE) pilot program. This program will provide support to municipalities interested in operationalizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their communities.
The 2023-24 LORE pilot program will be an eight-month program, split evenly between two four-month sessions, one in Fall 2023 and the other in Spring 2024. Municipal governments from across the State of Illinois are eligible to apply. Organizations must designate an executive-level public manager (e.g., CAOs, deputy CAOs, EDs) within the municipality to participate in the fall cohort. In the fall, the lead participant will identify two organizational leads (implementers) who will then attend the Spring 2024 session.
Please fill out the LORE pilot program application by Monday, August 14th to be considered.
The Fall session has been specifically designed for top decision makers to understand and make the case for DEI-driven organizational projects to key internal and external stakeholders. The Fall participants will not attend the Spring session but will remain engaged through a short series of online workshops and a final in-person presentation by their Spring 2024 management team. The Spring participants will learn DEI-driven process analysis to identify both assets and gaps in program performance and impact that can be applied to a wide range of organizational functions including but not limited to recruitment/retention, language access, procurement, community input/engagement.
Instruction is provided by the UIC Great Cities Institute in partnership with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and the Illinois City/County Management Association.
Program schedule:
Part 1: Fall 2023 – 9/13, 10/11, 11/8 and 12/14 (All in-person sessions)
Part 2: Spring 2024 – 2/14, 3/13*, 4/10* and 5/8 (* denotes same time/date but hybrid online format)
Successful applicants will commit to the entire eight-month program and training funds to ensure that capacity, full commitment, and likelihood of impact can be achieved. The training cost for the entire program is $800. Please reach out to Crispina Ojeda Simmons, cojeda@mayorscaucus.org if the cost would prevent your municipality from applying or for more information. The LORE pilot program is generously supported by the Chicago Community Trust.
