Tres miembros del personal de Main Street America delante de un mural en Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

Acerca de

Trabajamos en colaboración con miles de socios locales y líderes de base de todo el país que comparten nuestro compromiso de fomentar la prosperidad compartida, crear economías resistentes y mejorar la calidad de vida.

Visión general Quiénes somos Cómo trabajamos Colaboraciones de socios Nuestros colaboradores Nuestro equipo Oportunidades de empleo Póngase en contacto con nosotros
Dos miembros de la comunidad de Emporia Kansas posan con un cartel que dice "Soy un Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Nuestra red

Formadas por pueblos pequeños, comunidades de tamaño medio y distritos comerciales urbanos, las miles de organizaciones, personas, voluntarios y líderes locales que componen Main Street America™ representan la amplia diversidad que hace que este país sea tan singular.

Visión general Programas de coordinación Comunidades de Main Street Impacto colectivo Premios y reconocimientos Marco comunitario de evaluación Únete al movimiento
Dionne Baux y un socio de MSA trabajando en Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Recursos

¿Busca estrategias y herramientas que le ayuden en su trabajo? Sumérgete en el Centro de Recursos de Main Street y explora una amplia gama de recursos, entre los que se incluyen nuestro extenso Centro de Conocimientos, oportunidades de desarrollo profesional, ofertas de servicios sobre el terreno, apoyo a la promoción y mucho más.

Visión general Centro de conocimiento Servicios de campo Relaciones gubernamentales Conferencia Main Street Now Instituto Main Street America Apoyo a las pequeñas empresas Allied Member Services El punto Área de miembros
Personas en e-scooters en Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

Lo último

Su ventanilla única para conocer las últimas historias, noticias, eventos y oportunidades -incluidas subvenciones y programas de financiación- en Main Street.

Visión general Noticias Eventos y oportunidades Suscríbase a
Mujer y niña en un puesto del festival en Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier - Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Participa

Únase a nosotros en nuestro trabajo para fomentar la prosperidad compartida, crear economías fuertes y mejorar la calidad de vida en los centros y distritos comerciales de los barrios.

Visión general Únete a nosotros Renueve su afiliación Donar Asóciese con nosotros Oportunidades de empleo
Tres miembros del personal de Main Street America delante de un mural en Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

Acerca de

Trabajamos en colaboración con miles de socios locales y líderes de base de todo el país que comparten nuestro compromiso de fomentar la prosperidad compartida, crear economías resistentes y mejorar la calidad de vida.

Visión general Quiénes somos Cómo trabajamos Colaboraciones de socios Nuestros colaboradores Nuestro equipo Oportunidades de empleo Póngase en contacto con nosotros
Dos miembros de la comunidad de Emporia Kansas posan con un cartel que dice "Soy un Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Nuestra red

Formadas por pueblos pequeños, comunidades de tamaño medio y distritos comerciales urbanos, las miles de organizaciones, personas, voluntarios y líderes locales que componen Main Street America™ representan la amplia diversidad que hace que este país sea tan singular.

Visión general Programas de coordinación Comunidades de Main Street Impacto colectivo Premios y reconocimientos Marco comunitario de evaluación Únete al movimiento
Dionne Baux y un socio de MSA trabajando en Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Recursos

¿Busca estrategias y herramientas que le ayuden en su trabajo? Sumérgete en el Centro de Recursos de Main Street y explora una amplia gama de recursos, entre los que se incluyen nuestro extenso Centro de Conocimientos, oportunidades de desarrollo profesional, ofertas de servicios sobre el terreno, apoyo a la promoción y mucho más.

Visión general Centro de conocimiento Servicios de campo Relaciones gubernamentales Conferencia Main Street Now Instituto Main Street America Apoyo a las pequeñas empresas Allied Member Services El punto Área de miembros
Personas en e-scooters en Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

Lo último

Su ventanilla única para conocer las últimas historias, noticias, eventos y oportunidades -incluidas subvenciones y programas de financiación- en Main Street.

Visión general Noticias Eventos y oportunidades Suscríbase a
Mujer y niña en un puesto del festival en Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier - Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Participa

Únase a nosotros en nuestro trabajo para fomentar la prosperidad compartida, crear economías fuertes y mejorar la calidad de vida en los centros y distritos comerciales de los barrios.

Visión general Únete a nosotros Renueve su afiliación Donar Asóciese con nosotros Oportunidades de empleo
Sticky notes on a wall with reflections from participants in the 2023 community transformation workshop

At the 2023 Community Transformation Workshop, participants shared what they learned about transformation strategies. © Alicia Gallo

Last winter, Main Street America’s Education Team announced that the Main Street America Institute would be undergoing an intensive program assessment to ensure our curriculum and learning experiences meet the needs of our network and provide content that is reflective of everyone we serve. Nearly six months after that announcement, I am excited to share that we are on track to unveil our new learning model in Spring 2025 — and that we’ve learned a lot through our exploration and listening process. 

In this update, and with the above in mind, I want to share the top five changes coming to the Main Street America Institute and our associated certification journey toward the Main Street America Revitalization Professional (MSARP) credential. 

Not a One-Size Fits All Approach

We heard loud and clear that, while certification is highly valued within our network, many across the network are seeking a learning journey that speaks to their individual role or place within the Main Street Movement. In the future, you can expect a customized and flexible journey based on your role or interest. While the pathway(s) to certification will change, we will still offer certification if you decide that it is beneficial for you.

An Experience, not a Curriculum Checklist

Our network craves hands-on, immersive experiences, community and relationships, and learning journeys that are practical, transparent, and applicable. Main Street is a contact sport. You can’t ABCD your way to an inclusive, thriving community. We know that to meet these requests, we need to diversify not only the information and content we offer, but also the channels in which we offer them. Lecture or direct instruction is not always the best use of class time; instead, there are a variety of ways to structure learning experiences so that you’re challenged to grow and be responsible for comprehending information — and applying it.

People sit on either side of a long dinner table

Participants getting to know each other during the 2023 Community Transformation Workshop. © Alicia Gallo

Affordable and Equitable

We’ve learned that folks in our network did not feel many of the Institute’s offerings were relevant for them because their experiences, information needs, communities, and identities were not reflected in the homogenous content. We’ve also learned that for many, our offerings and the culminating certification were inaccessible because of cost. Further, we know there are a wide variety of learning types that our previous model did not consider. We plan on ensuring we deliver content through a range of mediums to accommodate the diversity of learning styles. Our new model makes certain that our learning experiences are both accessible and equitable, and that everyone can see themselves represented.

Out with the Old; In with the New 

Content and information are ever evolving. In 2024, with AI on the table, it’s critical to stay on top of trends and new ideas. Our new learning model will, of course, house foundational Main Street content and knowledge, but it is also designed to accommodate new courses, information, and trends readily. We’ll rotate outdated courses or information out, and relevant and/​or hot topic content into the model, giving our network access to an evolving curriculum tied to data, story, trends, and even course topic requests.

Never Stop Learning

We are so proud of our MSARP certification holders; their expertise and knowledge is critical to the Main Street movement, and so many are making significant contributions to Main Street, far and wide. We want to ensure our certification remains not only relevant, but highly respected. In truth, learning never stops — and we want to continue to support the growth of our MSARP recipients. You can expect certification renewal requirements with the new model, a common practice for industry level certifications. Also, we can’t wait to announce new ways for those with the MSARP to participate and share their expertise within the new learning model. 

On the horizon, we have two incredible learning opportunities that reflect some of the changes above, and many changes in both delivery and content. Be sure to look out for: 

Supporting Small Businesses on Main Street: This course is a live, three-week-long virtual and interactive experience. It will take place on September 5, 12, and 19. More details coming in July 2024!

* If youve taken this course in the past, we challenge you to take part again this year — we want you to experience the differences!

The Community Transformation Workshop: This is an in-person, immersive experience taking place in Des Moines and Nevada, Iowa, on October 15 and 16. Registration will open in mid-July. 

Community transformation workshop. October 15-16, 2024. Des Moines and Nevada Iowa. Hands-on and peer learning, real world market analysis practice, credit toward MSA's revitalization professional credential, and discount for members

We are working hard to deliver an incredible learning experience for our network. Thank you for your support, and we can’t wait for what’s to come!

Do you have any questions? Please reach out to msai@​mainstreet.​org.

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