ReCitizen, Premier Provider of Free, Citizen-Powered Community Revitalization Resources, Announces World's First Leadership Training Program for Urban, Rural and Environmental Revitalization Specialists

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year, thousands of new revitalization, regeneration, and redevelopment initiatives are launched at the regional, community, or neighborhood levels. But few have anyone qualified to design or run them.

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A new 2-day leadership training program, Certified Urban/Rural/Environmental Revitalization Specialist (CURERS) helps remedy this situation. It's offered at ReCitizen, L3C headquarters in Washington, DC, with a maximum of 20 enrollees per class. It's available at http://recitizen.org to ReCitizen members (basic membership is free).

"It's shocking," says ReCitizen CEO Storm Cunningham, who designed the CURERS course. "Many professionals know how to design redevelopment projects, but few know how to create an ongoing revitalization program.  Little wonder that cities spend so much, and so often fail to achieve their goals."

The 2-day CURERS certification course costs $1450. It can be used by entrepreneurs and professionals to create a specialized career focus on restorative development. They can thus carve out a profitable niche (with little competition) in the $2 trillion/year global restoration economy. 

"And let's not forget elected officials," says Cunningham. "They all promise economic growth, greater quality of life, and improved environmental health (which together define 'revitalization'), but how many can cite any qualifications to deliver it?"

Cunningham explains that most communities lurch from project to project in a stop-start manner that fails to gather momentum. Momentum is the key to creating confidence in the area's future. Such confidence is key to attracting and retaining employers, investors, and residents. Projects can renew properties, but only a continuous program can revitalize a community.

Cunningham says, "Three global trends are converging: restorative development, citizen leadership, and crowd technologies. The result is an explosion of citizen-powered renewal projects. The CURERS certification teaches public and private leaders how to integrate large, top-down redevelopment projects with bottom-up neighborhood projects. Together, they harness 100% of local renewal resources, enjoying enthusiastic public support."

About ReCitizen: Free, citizen-powered community revitalization tools are at http://recitizen.org. With them, anyone worldwide—students, professionals, retirees, etc.—can use their smartphone (or digital camera + computer) to document and collaborate on local renewal opportunities: natural, built, or socioeconomic. This creates the first global map and database of renewable assets.

About Storm Cunningham: Cunningham is a leading author and public speaker on regeneration (http://StormCunningham.com). He has been called "The world's thought leader on community revitalization and natural resource restoration" by George Ochs, Managing Director at JP Morgan, and "The (good) mayor's best friend" by Robert Lang, CEO of Americans for Community Development.

His third book, Militant Change, is coming in 2014. It's a guide to renewing organizations, cities, and natural resources for revolutionary entrepreneurs, CEOs, activists, and politicians. It shows how to revitalize our future when our economy and institutions falter, using Green Beret methods to achieving big results with little support. (Storm is a former Green Beret.)

For more information, or an interview:
Storm Cunningham: Email, (1-202-684-6815).

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SOURCE ReCitizen