Being a good neighbor isn t just an insurance company slogan. From Phoenix College to Mesa and Chandler-Gilbert community colleges, participants are learning how to operate a homeowners association, develop neighborhood newsletters, rid their communities of crime, and even improve their parenting skills.
Classes are either free or low-cost and require only a few hours of initial training.
The curriculum changes according to the needs expressed by community members. Demand is increasing for its newsletter publishing classes. Students learn how to put together a newsletter that provides safety tips, a calendar of events and anything else they think is pertinent to their neighborhood. The Southeast Valley Neighborhood Leadership College, a coalition that includes Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Town of Gilbert, and the Gilbert Police Department, helped Gilbert earn a national city livability award by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 1998. The college serves an expansive area, stretching from Prescott and Payson to Tucson.