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
A group of people sit around a large conference table in a brightly lit room for a meeting or workshop.
A diverse group of eleven people standing and smiling together in a brightly lit office space.
A person wearing a large paper cutout of a face over their head stands before an audience at a Forsyth Tech event.

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 2027 begins Spring 2026.

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 and Forsyth Co.
  • Associated Artists of Winston-Salem
  • Authoring Action (was Winston-Salem Youth Arts Institute)
  • 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
  • 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
  • Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem (was Piedmont Down Syndrome Support Network) [2]
  • 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 of Forsyth County/
    Head Start
  • Financial Pathways
  • Forest Park Elementary School
  • Forsyth Backpack Program
  • Forsyth County Aging Services Planning Committee
  • Forsyth County Department 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
  • Kaleidium (was Children's Museum of Winston-Salem and SciWorks) [3]
  • Komen Foundation
  • LEAD Girls of NC Inc.
  • Liberty Community Development Corporation
  • Love Literacy (was Read-Write-Spell)
  • Love Out Loud
  • Moji Coffee + More
  • MUSE Winston-Salem (was New Winston Museum)
  • National Cycling Center
  • NC Black Repertory Company [2]
  • NC Fusion
  • NC Museum of Art - Winston-Salem (was Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art) [2]
  • Northwest Child Development Council
  • Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments
  • Piedmont Land Conservancy
  • Piedmont Wind Symphony
  • Pivot Ministries
  • Reach Women's Network
  • 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
  • Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC [5]
  • SECU Family House
  • Senior Power Think Tank
  • Senior Services, Inc.
  • Smart Start of Forsyth County
  • 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
  • Work Family Resource Center
  • YMCA of Northwest NC
    Youth in Transition
  • YWCA Hawley House