Nevada, Iowa. Photo by KandE Productions.
Whether you’re new to the field or decades into your journey, the Academy offers a curated learning experience built for Main Street changemakers — with resources, recognition, and relationships designed to help you develop your skills, grow your impact, and lead with confidence in your community.
Take self-paced modules, sign up for webinars, join live courses, and learn about upcoming in-person workshops — all designed to meet you where you are and move your work forward.
Metuchen, New Jersey
Find curated learning experiences designed to meet you where you are and support your unique contributions. Our inaugural learning journey for local Main Street leaders rolls out this summer, with additional role-specific pathways coming soon!
Brunswick, Georgia
Advance toward the refreshed Main Street Revitalization Professional (MSARP) credential with a tiered certification journey that honors both what you know and what you do.
Explore our entire suite of resources, from courses to articles, and bookmark them to your dashboard. Everything you need, all in one place.
Quincy, Illinois
Designed for local Main Street leaders working to strengthen their downtown districts, this free, self-paced series explores each of the Four Points — Organization, Promotion, Economic Vitality, and Design — and offers practical strategies that reflect the values of place-based revitalization.
Florence, South Carolina © True Light Photography
This learning journey supports local leaders at every stage of their Main Street career. From starting to succession, this multi-phase learning experience offers real-world guidance rooted in the values of place-based revitalization and paired with strategies, templates, and resources you can use right away to strengthen your program and lead with confidence.
Raton, New Mexico. Photo by Patricia Duran.
Join us in Columbia and Hartsville, South Carolina, October 13 – 15, for this immersive, place-based workshop designed to equip revitalization leaders with practical tools and best practices necessary to tackle complex community challenges. Come with examples of your downtown district’s greatest challenges, explore solutions using your community’s latest market data—a $750 value!—and leave with real-world insights to develop sustainable strategies.
Registration is open. Space is limited!
Stevenson, Washington. Photo by Alicia Gallo.
This free webinar series features attendee-favorite sessions from the 2025 Main Street Now Conference. Whether you missed them in Philly or are ready for a deeper dive, each webinar offers fresh perspectives on the topics that matter most to Main Street leaders today.
2025 Main Street Now Conference. Photo by BeauMonde Originals.
Generously sponsored by U.S. Bank, this live, three-week course centers the real challenges of entrepreneurs and equips Main Street leaders with invaluable insights and practical tools to respond. Featuring small business owners and supporters from around the nation, join us for an in-depth look into what small businesses need now and how your Main Street organization can meet this moment.
Registration is closed — On-demand version coming soon!
Boyne City, Michigan. Photo by Michigan Barefoot Memories Photography.
Offered each fall, the Community Transformation Workshop is a dynamic train-the-trainer learning experience. Through two days of intensive and interactive educational sessions, exercises, and hands-on projects, participants gain valuable tools and strategies to bring their community’s vision for its downtown district to life.
Registration for the 2025 workshop is closed.
Stevenson, Washington. Photo by Alicia Gallo.
Deepen your knowledge, bring your vision to life, and expand your impact with our latest Main Street America Academy course. Whether you’re navigating your first grant or hosting a community event, the Local Main Street Leader Launching module is designed to support your growth without burning out.
Generously sponsored by U.S. Bank, this live, three-week course centers the real challenges of entrepreneurs and equips Main Street leaders with invaluable insights and practical tools to respond. Register today!
Oregon City, Oregon. Photo by Adam Wickham.
Learn best practices and real-world insights to develop sustainable revitalization strategies, plus get your community’s latest market data—a $750 value—at the 2025 Community Transformation Workshop, in Columbia and Hartsville, South Carolina, October 13-15. Registration closes on September 29. Space is limited. Don't wait!
From interactive self-paced courses and immersive in-person workshops, the Academy offers practical, engaging, and flexible learning experiences designed to help you grow your impact, sharpen your skills, and lead with confidence. We invite you to join us as we embark on this bold new chapter—start exploring the Academy today!
Join us for encore presentations of attendee-favorite sessions from the 2025 Main Street Now Conference, offering fresh perspectives on the topics that matter most to Main Street leaders.
From honing foundational best practices and approaches to diving into the latest trends and techniques, the Main Street America Academy's suite of summer learning opportunities has something for everyone.
The future of Main Street learning is almost here, and it starts with a bold new chapter. Coming in July 2025, the Main Street America Academy will provide practical, engaging, and flexible educational experiences designed for local leaders and practitioners.
Associate Research Analyst Aoife Harte shares her experience attending the 2024 Community Transformation Workshop.
Last year, we announced upcoming changes to the Main Street America Institute. We are excited to provide an update on those changes and a sneak peek at what you can expect in the future.
Starting in early 2024, we will engage in an intensive program assessment of MSAI. We look forward to bringing an enhanced Main Street professional development experience to the network later in the year.
Main Streeters gathered for the Community Transformation Workshop to explore strategies to advance their work.
