Lived Experience Leaders

Our flagship program amplifies and supports local residents to create the change they want to see in their community. The program welcomed its first cohort in 2020, and its fourth in the fall of 2024!

Lived Experience Leaders in now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Cohort!

Apply now for the 2026-2027 Cohort

Do you carry wisdom from your own life experiences — and want to put it to work for your community? Engage Winona is launching the fifth cohort of Lived Experience Leaders, and we'd love for you to apply.

This program provides training, resources, and community to people across Winona and Southeast Minnesota who know firsthand what their neighbors need, and are ready to bring their vision for community to life.

Applications are open until August 8, 2026. Read more about if this program is for you!

Learn more & apply

  • "(I learned)...that everyone can be a leader given the right situation, circumstances, support and ability to move forward a dream or idea."

    Lived Experience Leaders Alum

  • "The program meets people where they are at and provides resources so they can amplify their ideas."

    Lived Experience Leaders Alum

  • "Relationships allowed for this to be community-led, where it's owned by community members through an advisory committee. There's a culture of community engagement."

    Lived Experience Leaders Alum

  • "Quieter voices in our community were able to be heard and become louder. People were given the tools to be able to do this through the program."

    Lived Experience Leaders Alum

Ripple Effect Mapping

In the summer of 2024, Engage Winona joined the Highlighting Stories of Community Resilience project, a collaboration between the Blandin Foundation and the University of Minnesota Extension. This initiative aims to showcase stories of resilience while refining strategies to support rural leaders and communities through cross-sector projects.

As part of the project, leaders from Engage Winona’s Lived Experience Leaders (LEL) program partnered with project staff to conduct a Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) evaluation. REM is an interactive method where participants visually map the ripple effects of a program, highlighting its outcomes and broader impact.

This report shares the key findings from the REM process, shedding light on how the LEL program contributes to community resilience and inspires meaningful change.


Read the full report

Alumni Testimonial

Angela Boozhoo on how Lived Experience Leaders shaped her leadership and community engagement.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Thank you to Miller Ingenuity for being a Builder level sponsor! Their generous support helps sustain and grow this work, ensuring that more emerging leaders in our community have the opportunity to learn, connect, and lead with confidence.

Thank you to Target, the Womens foundation of Minnesota, and our local Walmart #5397 on 955 Frontenac Dr. for contributing a Walmart Spark Good Community Grant to support Lived Experience Leaders.