IMPACT REPORT
July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021
This past year, the Weldon Cooper Center published its first five-year strategic plan to better align our work with the University's vision, the needs of Virginia communities across the Commonwealth, and our values of access, collaboration, communities, and impact. Putting our goals into action during a global pandemic required us to innovate and adapt by moving leadership development programs online and shifting our research initiatives to meet the immediate needs of communities dealing with the effects of COVID-19. As was true for many organizations, this was a challenging year for the Cooper Center, but we found new ways to deliver our public service mission, managed with fewer resources, and rediscovered the resilience of Virginia communities. We thank you for your continued support.
"Guided by the core values of access, collaboration, community, and impact, each of our teams thoughtfully engaged in public impact research and leadership development over the past year with the specific intent of addressing issues posed by the public health crisis, as well as those that have traditionally forced leaders across sectors to make difficult decisions."
Larry Terry, Executive Director
Cooper Center Strategic Plan
The Center outlines the steps we will take toward our vision of thriving regions and communities shaped by informed, innovative, and inclusive leaders.
Inclusive Excellence
The Cooper Center is examining its DEI policies and practices to ensure our work is reflective of the needs of all communities across the Commonwealth.
The Greater Good Initiative
Inspired by their experience in the Sorensen Institute High School Leaders Program, these alum founded a youth-led policy think tank.
Racial Dot Map
Over 1,000 testimonials from users across the U.S. revealed that the dot map has been instrumental in helping people understand and talk about race issues.