KY/TN Institute for Sustainable Development

George Smith, Jack McDaniel, Kim Smith, Joe Griffy, University of Tennessee

Rick Maurer, Lori Garkovich, Debra Cotterill, University of Kentucky

Gae Broadwater, Kentucky State University

Alan Barefield, Southern Rural Development Center

Purpose

To provide training for county agents in community and economic development – concepts and skills

To provide an opportunity for county agents to gain graduate credit by completing an application project during the training time frame

To share ideas on what works

Structure of the Institute

Based on the Southern Regional Community Development Institute materials and organizational structure

3 days of training in April followed by 3 days in October

Training outline General community and economic

development principles Track on capacity building Track on economic development

General Community and Economic Development Principles

What is sustainable development? Creating new paradigms in sustainable

development Our roles in controversial development

projects Rural versus urban development Conflict resolution Natural resource management and economic

opportunities

General Community and Economic Development Principles

Challenges and opportunities of community and economic development programs

Engaging new audiences Engaging other parts of the university

in community economic development Building partnerships

Track 1 – Capacity Building

Asset mapping Nurturing leadership Natural resources from a community’s

point of view Community infrastructure and

services Smart growth Advanced conflict resolution topics

Track 2 – Economic Development

Business retention and expansion E-commerce Local economic development strategies Economic opportunities of natural resources Entrepreneurial coaching Land use issues Agri-tourism Multi-function agriculture

Participants

Total of 40 participants in first Institute Agents from Kentucky and Tennessee Agents and administrators from West

Virginia Half also enrolled for graduate credit

which required completion of an application project and presentation of results

Sample Projects

“An autumn walk by a stream, a natural resource leadership retreat for women organized by Gwenda Adkins, Elliott County (KY) Extension agent

“Elements in the development of a farmer’s market” by Karla Kean, Clarksville, TN Extension agent

Application of principles of leadership development and conflict resolution to Agricultural Development Board members training – Robert Amburgey, Jessamine County (KY) Extension agent

Brittany Edelstein,

Shelby County KY Agent

Sample Project

Becky Nash,

Taylor County KY Agent

Sample ProjectHomeplace on the Green River

Participants Comments – The strength of the Institute was:

Collective experience of all the participants together

Multi-state dynamism It’s a great idea to break state boundaries Collaboration among states Learning about other states and what they do Interaction with people from other states

Participants Comments – The strength of the Institute was:

Informal networking Opportunity to discuss issues with other

agents and to look at what other organizations are doing

Sharing of programs and ideas and stories

New faces, new ideas Hearing about different programs and

how agents use partnership

Challenges to Multistate Cooperation

Travel Coordinating workable dates Variations in community economic

development responsibilities among agents

Variations in community settings and state policies, programs, and regulations

Opportunities from Multistate Cooperation

Diversity of innovative ideas Recognizing that despite differences in

state conditions, there are fundamental common challenges to community economic development

Spread the SRDC CDI materials to agents who would not likely travel to a regional training – cost effective

Opportunities from multistate cooperation

Builds on the community economic development assets of participating states

Captures the value of specialists’ expertise Some participants drew on the expertise of

others in developing and implementing programs – within and cross-state sharing

Produced a CD-Rom of training materials and presentations so information can be shared

Broader Issues

How to implement continuous training in community economic development for agents when Most agents do not have professional

backgrounds in community economic development

Most agents do not have community economic development in their title or as an explicit program responsibility

Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds

Alexander Graham Bell