"The center's objective is to create stronger communities and stronger leaders,
particularly in South Carolina ...community development provides the context in which
students can be trained in and practice good leadership skills.”
- Jim Lemke, Ph.D.,
Center for Research in
Leadership & Community Development
and
Professor of Political Science and Philosophy.

Dr. Ron Carter, Coker College provost, Stedman Graham, and Dr. Jim Lemke, director of the Center for Research in Leadership and Community Development.

Coker College established the Center for Research in Leadership and Community Development, a clearinghouse of information and a laboratory for community development and leadership programs, in May 2003.

The Center will create, implement and evaluate models for partnerships between higher education, community organizations, local, state and national government, and funding agencies. It will also assist communities with established development programs.

Coker College and the Leadership Institute of Chicago, in cooperation with a coalition of experienced partners from community-based organizations, local school districts, businesses, industry, and local government, have put in place a plan of action for youth development in Florence and Darlington counties (SC).

This collaborative effort, called Community’s Vision of Community Education (CVCE), emphasizes economic progress and social capital as practicable means for youth to strengthen their sense of personal capability and to become productive members of their community for mutual benefit. Launched from a platform of three educational initiatives, CVCE aims at providing opportunities for youth to bring to bear upon themselves and others ideals and resources that can influence conditions that affect their lives and aspirations.

Under the auspices of the Center, Coker’s Institute for Applied Leadership will provide a platform for educational opportunities in leadership for Coker College students, including a minor in Leadership Studies, and the community at-large. The institute will provide programs of regional and national scope by offering leadership training and seminars for businesses and industry. The institute’s organizational management programs are being developed with the Leadership Institute of Chicago.