Learning Landing

Self-Guided Course

Basics of Resource Management & Budgeting

Effective Main Street leadership starts with clarity and confidence. But for many new leaders, managing resources — especially budgets and time — can feel overwhelming. This course is designed to change that.

Formal Learning: 100 points

A group of four event staff wearing neon yellow safety vests stand under a white canopy tent labeled “www.downtownsykesville.com,” talking with a woman in a blue shirt. Behind them, a few people sit at an outdoor café table eating and drinking, and a dark gray building façade frames the scene.

Self-Guided Course

Beyond the Numbers: Understanding Your Main Street Impact

Move beyond economic metrics to understand the social, emotional, and cultural value your organization brings to your community.

Formal Learning: 100 points

In East Oakland, California, a young girl and an older man hold hands while roller skating together at an outdoor community event hosted by the Black Cultural Zone.

On-Demand Webinar

Bridging Humanities and Preservation Through Community Storytelling

Unlock the transformative power of storytelling to breathe new life into historic preservation and transform your downtown into a living narrative.

Formal Learning: 100 points

A brightly colored mural on a dark gray wall features the word "Kendallville," where each block letter depicts an image.

Self-Guided Course

Bringing Your Promotion Strategy to Life: Tactics That Work

A strong promotional strategy requires the right mix of tools to engage different audiences effectively.

Formal Learning: 100 points

Two smiling women pose behind a large lime-green frame branded “Main Street America” and “#WeAreMainStreet.” Each holds a small card: the woman on the left’s reads “Main Street is… home!” and the woman on the right’s reads “Main Street is… community.” Behind them is a repeating backdrop celebrating 40 years of the Main Street movement.

Self-Guided Course

Building a Strong Foundation: Organization

Before a Main Street program can thrive, it needs to function.

Formal Learning: 100 points

A group of four people works on a sidewalk art installation set within a recessed bed of river rocks. Dozens of slender wooden stakes topped with painted wooden shapes (spheres and cubes in bright yellow, orange, red, blue, and purple) rise from the stones. On the left, a crouching woman in a teal tank top and gray leggings picks up rocks; next to her, a standing woman in a wide-brimmed straw hat and green shirt holds two yellow-and-orange blocks. On the right, a woman in a gray tank top drives a stake into the stones with a mallet, while a man in a gray t-shirt and green shorts bends over to adjust a red cube on its stake. Behind them, a row of brick storefronts and the street with parked cars frame the scene under a clear blue sky.

Self-Guided Course

Building Your District’s Story: The Foundations of Promotion

If Main Street organizations don’t take charge of the story, someone else will.

Formal Learning: 100 points

A quiet downtown corner at dusk shows a red-brick building with large display windows revealing bookshelves inside. To the left, a colorful geometric mural in shades of pink, yellow, and orange fills the lower brick wall. Vertical signs above the doorway read “Bk Books,” “Co Coffee,” and “Be Beer.” A leafless street tree and vintage streetlamp stand on the wide concrete sidewalk, while a blue-and-white classic sedan and other cars drift past on the two-lane road flanked by more historic storefronts.

Self-Guided Course

Communicating and Implementing Design Ideas

Successful Design initiatives require more than good ideas — they need clear communication, stakeholder advocacy, and practical implementation strategies.

Formal Learning: 100 points