In 2008, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation reviewed the success of the Tallahassee initiatives and awarded a five-year grant in the amount of $570,000 to begin the Knight Creative Communities Institute. The institute strives to attract and retain young professionals and develop a more adaptable workforce for Florida’s capital city. It will build on the momentum created by the successful Knight Creative pilot project over the last two years.
The newly created Knight Creative Communities Institute aims to be a national model. By developing a stronger creative sector, all of Tallahassee will benefit from new jobs and businesses. It will be fueled by a group of “community catalysts,” or local leaders and advocates who will meet to devise new ways to help the city’s economy grow.
The institute is housed at Tallahassee Community College in the Center for Workforce Development and is managed by an executive director who was hired in May 2009. KCCI also has an active advisory board who assists in planning and executing ideas for the program.
Catalysts will be selected in September and will begin their work in October. They will participate in a three-day seminar to discuss the region’s strengths and needs along with global trends in economic prosperity, as well as the 4 T’s as outlined by Richard Florida in his book, The Rise of the Creative Class. At the conclusion of the seminar, the catalysts will have created a unified vision of prosperity and an accompanying plan to help the community reach that vision. Catalysts will commit one year to educate, engage and enable fellow citizens in their initiatives.