GCI Programs

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This program offers classes and activities that focus on writing, communication, research, personal development, leadership, and entrepreneurship.  Youth Academy participants also participate in Greenhouse Forensics, Applied Organizing, Biz Rhetoric, and Word Diversion.        

Youth and adult participants are urged to support and participate in the Championship Communication League and the Greenhouse Debate Forum.  It is our mission to bring this gift of intellect, self-empowerment, and effective communication to future leaders, struggling communities, and underfunded schools and colleges.     

Our staff is committed to continuing to support business leaders, educators, and students by connecting our mission with businesses and school districts. Learning & Leadership provides professional development services through programs such as the GCI's Equity Talks Series and Applied Leadership.

GCI prepares entrepreneurs for developing, acquiring, maintaining, and growing customers.  Our entrepreneur program emphasizes financial goal setting, timely rewards and assessments, corporate communication, financial literacy, budgeting for projects and personal use, small business accounting basics, how to pitch, how to plan, start-up basics, writing a business plan vs developing a business model.  

 Participants engage in several forms of advocacy: community education, facilitating training workshops, conducting issue specific research, interfacing with key legislators and stakeholders, and more. Our participants learn applied leadership skills, participating in the problem solving process by strategically engaging powers structures and positively building and changing systems of social, political, and economic influence. 

We utilize several organizing models to provide the framework and detail the variables that determine our approach to advocacy and organizing 

 The GCI Youth Academy also offers best practice programs to incarcerated, supervised, post supervised, and high-risk youth ages 12-21. Word Diversion participants may participate in Greenhouse Forensics, Biz Rhetoric, Applied Organizing, or Learning & Leadership. Programming occurs within corrections institutions, court approved supervision sites, and on education campuses. Participants earn participation stipends and receive financial bonuses for outstanding participation, program completion, or excellence in mentoring. Parents are encouraged to participate along with their children as much as possible.