Action Learning
What are Action Learning Projects?
Action learning projects bring LWS class participants together in a collaborative team setting that fosters aspirational thinking and problem-solving. ALP teams offer a fresh set of minds and eyes that explore complex problems or potential opportunities for non-profit organizations. These individuals work together to meet specific goals that elevate how the organization impacts the community.
Non-profit community organizations often lack the business resources, time, and physical energy to analyze dilemmas, set goals, or implement solutions that meet the needs of the communities they serve. Finding creative ways to increase awareness of the organization, drafting plans for the growth of business and services, or discovering and implementing new ideas usually takes a large team of experts – a luxury not easily accessible or affordable to non-profit orgs. Leadership Winston-Salem partners with our city’s non-profit sector to provide a base of community leaders willing to support community organizations’ work as they complete the LWS Flagship program. These leaders work together in Action Learning teams to support the mission of non-profit entities – and the positive outcomes are significant. Not to mention, the assistance is free for non-profits.
The Leadership Winston-Salem Action Learning Projects ignite community leaders to utilize their talents, strengths, and skills to strengthen our community’s non-profits.
Through  the Action Learning Project concept, Leadership Winston-Salem:
- Generates applications from non-profit community organizations who need support for their initiatives
- Coaches class participant teams who focus on project development and goal setting through inquiry, reflection, and feedback
- Utilizes a project coach for each group who works to ensure that collaborative participation takes place and project deliverables are completed
Community Partner Benefits
Partnering agencies reap valuable benefits from this process, including more than the formal results of the project team’s work. Other benefits include:
- Increased resource investment in the agency’s work by the project team
- Heightened visibility in the community through the agency’s exposure to 70+ community leaders who are Flagship program participants
- Cultivated, lasting relationships between nonprofits and community leaders who are interested in volunteer service.
Class participants immerse themselves into these projects and often gain a personal connection with their partner agency that extends beyond the end of the project.
Each year, the Action Learning Selection Committee reviews proposals from local organizations and evaluates the needs and goals based on the action learning criteria. New class members select proposals they wish to work on during the year as part of a pro-bono consulting team.
LWS awards eight projects each year. Recruitment for Action Learning Community Partnerships for the Class of 2026 begins Spring 2025.
Action Learning Project Recipients
Below is a list of all of the community partners that have been assisted by our Action Learning Projects since 2006. Partners which were the recipient of more than one project are noted in brackets.
a/perture cinema
A Bed and A Book
ABC of NC Child Development Center
Amos Cottage
Animal Adoption and Rescue Foundation
Appalachian State University
Arts Council of Winston-Salem Forsyth Co.
Associated Artists of Winston-Salem
Authoring Action
Big Brothers Big Sisters [5]
Bookmarks
Cancer Services
CareNet Counseling
Carolina Music Ways
Catholic Social Services
Centers for Exceptional Children
Children's Home Society
Children's Law Center
Children's Museum of WS (now Kaleidium) [2]
City of Winston-Salem [2]
City with Dwellings
Clemmons Food Pantry
Community Care Center for Forsyth County, Inc.
Community Partnership for Compassionate Care
Creative Center of NC, Inc.
Crisis Control Ministry, Inc. [3]
Crosby Scholars Community Partnership [3]
Cycle Recycle
Delta Arts Center
Diggs Gallery, WSSU
Downtown Health Plaza
Dress For Success Winston-Salem [2]
Enrichment Center Gateway Gallery
Experiment in Self-Reliance [2]
Faith Seeds
Family Promise of Forsyth County
Family Services
Family Services, Inc./ Head Start
Financial Pathways
Forest Park Elementary School
Forsyth Backpack Program
Forsyth Co. Aging Services Planning Committee
Forsyth Co. Dept. of Social Services [2]
Forsyth County Public Library
Forsyth Humane Society [2]
Forsyth Industrial Systems
Forsyth Jail & Prison Ministries
Forsyth Technical Community College and The Forsyth Tech Foundation
Furnishing Hope
Gateway Environmental Initiative
Girl Scouts - Peaks to Piedmont
God's Butterfly
Goler Institute for Development & Education
Goodwill Industries of NW NC
greeNest [2]
Habitat for Humanity Forsyth County [4]
HandsOn NWNC
Healthy WS
High Horizons Academies for Leadership
Hispanic League [2]
Hope Vibes Triad
Horizons Residential Care Center
Hospice & Palliative Care Center [3]
Imprints Cares [2]
Industries for the Blind
Infant Mortality Reduction Coalition
innovateHER
Interinstitutional Leadership Program
John F. Kennedy High School
Komen Foundation
LEAD Girls of NC Inc.
Liberty Community Development Corporation
Love Out Loud
Moji Coffee + More
National Cycling Center
NC Black Repertory Company [2]
NC Fusion
New Winston Museum (now MUSE Winston-Salem)
Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments
NW Child Development Council
Piedmont Down Syndrome Support Network (Now Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem) [2]
Piedmont Land Conservancy
Piedmont Wind Symphony
Pivot Ministries
Reach Women's Network
Read-Write-Spell (READWS)
Reynolda Gardens
Riverwood Therapeutic Riding Center
Robinhood Road Family YMCA
Ronald McDonald House of Winston-Salem [3]
S.G. Atkins Community Development Corporation
Samaritan Ministries [3]
Sawtooth School for Visual Art
SaySo Children's Home
SciWorks (now Kaleidium)
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC [5]
SECU Family House
Senior Power Think Tank
Senior Services, Inc.
Smart Start of Forsyth County
Southeastern Center for Comtemporary Art (now NCMA-WS) [2]
Southside Health Care Ctr.
Special Children's School
STEAM Academy (Downtown Middle School)
The Adaptables, Inc
The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem
The Olio
The Parenting PATH (was Exchange/SCAN) [2]
The Shalom Project, Inc.
Thirsty, Inc.
United Way Agency Executive Association
Volunteer Connections
Wake Forest University
Winston-Net
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools [4]
Winston-Salem Street School
Winston-Salem Symphony
Winston-Salem Youth Arts Institute (now Authoring Action)
Work Family Resource Center
YMCA of Northwest NC
Youth in Transition
YWCA Hawley House