SRPLN 2009 CD Accomplishment Report
From Extension Collaborative Wiki
SRPLN Community Development Committee 2009 Accomplishment Report
Committees are asked to answer these three questions by Thursday, August 27th. Be brief. The goal is to limit the report to one page.
1. What has your committee accomplished together in the last year as a result of PLN?
• Community Development Institute/National training plan / CD Certification Program: The North Central Region’s Foundations of Practice is expanding to be a national program embraced by all four regions. The SRDC is managing the newly designed website and registration is open for the fall training. http://srdc.msstate.edu/fop/
• Business Retention and Expansion Training: One committee member, Alan Barefield, is now a certified instructor through BREI. Three continuing education courses outlines have been developed: using secondary data, developing and analyzing a survey, establishing and operating a BRE program. Training is being planned for Alabama to be held in February 2010.
• Public Deliberation Project and Training: Now under the banner of “Turning the Tide on Poverty,” this project officially launched on August 21st with a multi-state training of pilot communities. Pilot states include MS, LA, AL, OK, and GA.
• E-Commerce Training / Nat’l Rural Broadband: Six implementation projects are underway and three resource development grants have just been awarded. Seven completed educational products are on the website now with several more near to their launch dates. Introductory webinars for four of the curricula were completed. http://srdc.msstate.edu/ecommerce/index.html
• Transferred the (1) Watershed, (2) Cashing in on Business, and (3) CARE for Local Economies courses from the CECP Campus to the Moodle PDCOP.
• Design of multi-state youth entrepreneurship training activities including conference calls, NACDEP and CYFAR presentations, collaborating with Entrepreneurship COP, one webinar completed and one up-coming.
• EDA Initiative “Know Your Region”: All of the Southern states (KY, MS, FL, LA, TN) and RRDCs involved in the train the trainer workshop in Indianapolis have completed at least one training in their state.
• Emergency Preparedness Demonstration (EPD) Project (funded by FEMA): Conducted 24 listening sessions across four states (AR, LA, OK, FL) to determine disaster awareness and preparedness challenges in low wealth communities.
• Developed regional logic models for building economically vibrant communities, fostering civic engagement, and enhancing opportunities in distressed and low wealth communities.
2. What has your committee accomplished together that it could not have accomplished without PLN?
• The Community Development Extension community is relatively small and PLN is attended by a significant majority of the specialists in the area. As such, all of the accomplishments listed above (#1) are truly a result of our collaboration during the face to face PLN meeting. More specific examples include:
o National e-commerce mini-grants: PLN provided the network to recruit applicants
o Developed regional logic models
o Identify the extension educators participating in EPD
3. Please give a few examples of specific benefits to individual states.
• SC State implemented the Cashing in on Business curriculum based on introduction through PLN
• WV State adopted county level business retention and expansion program
• FL A&M & Clemson used business retention and expansion concepts in their delivery of community development programming because of training through PLN connection with BREI.
• TN adopted and Arkansas, Louisiana, and Clemson continue to use e-commerce curricula.
• AR and TN have utilized regional logic models in the development of their entrepreneurial community extension programs.
• FL’s extension educators are more aware of challenges facing low wealth communities during disasters as a consequence of participating in the EPD project.
