UI Extension

Community Development

Rural studies

Community development

UI Extension community development programs work with communities to improve the quality of life for residents throughout Idaho. Extension faculty and staff focus on long-term, positive impacts, working collaboratively with local communities to address the greatest needs.

Digital economy

The Digital Economy Program serves entrepreneurs and workers in Idaho. Our mission is to reduce the digital divide and enable the benefits of digitalization to reach all Idahoans. Our efforts are aimed at achieving a vision of an Idaho where all residents are prepared to lead and thrive in today’s digital economy and where communities across the state have the right economic and social conditions to support a fair digital transformation.

Rural studies

The Rural Studies Program supports rural residents to be prepared to lead and thrive in today’s economy and advances the frontiers of scientific knowledge in rural development.

Food systems

Food travels a path from farm to table in interlocking areas known as food systems. UI Extension community development programs advise businesses and groups that are part of these food systems.

Farmers' markets

Farmers' markets provide direct marketing channels for small farmers and gathering places for the social life of communities. Market managers and advisory committees often lack the information needed to make efficient immediate decisions for change or plan for effective long-term improvements. Market assessments with attendance counts, customer surveys and outside reviewer observations allow markets to analyze their success as social hubs, their influence on sales for neighboring businesses and to estimate sales for vendors.

Explore the Small acreages and local foods website to learn more.

Leadership development

Leaders imagine the future and influence others to join them in creating it. UI Extension helps leaders learn these skills.

Assets to action

Why do some rural communities become more vibrant in the face of challenges, while others can't shake a decline? The key is shared leadership among a large base of volunteers, organizations and existing local resources.

Assets to Action is a series of workshops to build leadership capacity across the groups in a community by facilitating a grassroots planning process. The process takes a “guide on the side” coaching approach, with Extension facilitators and local partners supporting community members. These community members identify local assets, create a shared vision and identify strategies that will move the community toward prosperity.

The process is tailored to and designed by community members, including new and long-time leaders. Residents from across community sectors develop a platform to sustain community-driven action over time.

How it works

A community — a neighborhood, municipality, set of towns, county or region — brings together 10-20 people willing to be the spark that ignites positive action.
UI Extension specialists and educators work with this group for two to four months to develop a draft community vision, action teams and a steering committee.
UI Extension educators work with community leaders for the next year, coaching them as they develop work plans, recruit volunteers and raise funds for project implementation.
Extension personnel provide leadership training as needed, in a “just-in-time” training model, based on community needs.

For more information, contact Lorie Higgins.

Make a difference

The Leadership to Make a Difference Institute is an intensive training to help individuals develop confidence in their leadership abilities and learn skills to make a difference in our world. After this training, participants have:

An understanding of self, others and building working relationships.
Skills for leading meetings, working with others and responding to conflict.
Personal leadership plan and strategies for implementing new ideas in current work.
Professional network designed to support continued leadership growth.

For more information, contact Kathee Tifft.

Planning and policy

UI Extension helps communities plan for their futures through capacity building, community surveys, leadership development, community visioning, the facilitation of planning charettes and the creation of planning documents. Extension convenes individuals to aggregate ideas, develop local surveys and provide meaningful information to stakeholders enabling informed policy decision making at the local level.

Extension educators across the state are working with local stakeholders to educate, inform and create planning documents to strengthen community projects such as community gardens, food coalitions, multi-modal pathways, trail connectivity networks, placemaking plans, community identity and asset-based development.

Extension partners with community organizations and strengthens the technical assistance grant process for local communities. Partner organizations are critical to the shared successes accomplished through community development efforts. Partners we have worked with to create planning documents and influence data driven policy decisions include:

Community Action Partnerships
Community Builders
Food Banks
Idaho Department of Labor
Idaho Power
Idaho Rural Partnership
Idaho State Parks
Local chambers, libraries, schools, businesses, food banks, municipalities and counties
National Park Service
Non-profits
Local and Regional Economic Development Councils
St. Luke’s Hospital
Western Rural Development Center

For more information, contact Melissa Hamilton.

Economic impact

Economic impact analysis reports calculate the difference a region or industry makes in the economy and its potential. The reports are useful for identifying where investing money or training can multiply the opportunities in a region.

UI Extension offers these reports as a paid service. The reports are prepared by trained doctoral researchers and peer reviewed. Please contact Paul Lewin for a quote.

Similar reports

Participation evaluation tool

Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) is a versatile participatory evaluation tool. The intent of REM is to collect the untold stories and behind-the-scenes activities that can ripple out from a specific program or activity.

Designed to work effectively for gathering evaluation data from program participants, community or coalition partners, or other groups.
Effectively identifies what has occurred, as well as what is not occurring.
Provides an opportunity to decide what direction the community, coalition or group should head next.

Overall, the REM process is an effective way to get information from participants and on to paper in a visual way.

If you are interested in having UI Extension conduct REM with your organization or project participants or would like to have your staff trained in the technique, contact Lorie Higgins at higgins@uidaho.edu.

Rural youth education

Education programs help youth and young adults learn life and work skills. UI Extension directly teaches young people and conducts research on how education can make a difference.

Living wage project

This face-to-face program for youth includes community-based strategies to encourage young adults to get the education and job skills needed for financial stability as they build families of their own. Program lessons include:

Youth entrepreneurship
Life skills development
Career awareness

For more information contact Katie McFarland.

Research for policy-makers

This program designed for commissioners and legislators adds to the national body of work about rural education and explores what the research means for increasing educational attainment and economic competitiveness of Idahoans and others who live and work in rural communities. The program helps towns, school boards, legislators and others better understand issues that affect rural education, have more informed policy discussions and bring attention to the unique needs and circumstances of rural school children.

Publications

Economic returns to education in Idaho (pdf): Executive summary (pdf), presentation slides (pdf)
Social returns to education: Strengthening rural economies (pdf)

To learn more contact Paul Lewin.

Small businesses

Starting a small business? UI Extension offers two training options to help new entrepreneurs learn about planning, finances and marketing.

Ready, Set, Grow Your Business

Ready, Set, Grow Your Business is a "training light, networking heavy" approach to growing and supporting small businesses in Idaho's rural communities.

Each workshop includes:

Knowledge and skill training from local and university experts
Presentations about a successful local business
Question and answer session
Informal networking time

Coaching and business pitch activities help create an environment that fosters business start-up and expansion in small towns.

Workshop schedule

Sessions are two hours long and scheduled a week apart for four weeks. Topics include:

Strategic planning and research before launching or expanding
Marketing and e-commerce
Financial planning and funding options
Creating an effective pitch

When possible, sessions are held in local coffee shops, pubs and restaurants. These locations support the local economy and fosters a networking atmosphere. A "small business bingo" game makes networking easier. Prizes are typically self-help entrepreneurship publications.

Host communities need to have a local organizer or organizing organization. For example, in Kendrick and Juliaetta a local community development volunteer organization recruited businesses, identified workshop locations and advertised the opportunity. The program is low or no cost to the community, but onsite coordinating assistance is required.

If you would like to schedule workshops in your community, contact Lorie Higgins.

Dream Builder

Dream Builder is a free 15-module, online program is self-paced, allowing you to learn when it’s most convenient to you. Learn more and register.

Customer service gold standard

Gold Standard of Customer Relations, ECS 8, is for teaching a one- to two-hour workshop. Learn the values of delivering outstanding service, the keys of customer relations and how they can deliver great service time and time again. Designed for businesses, non-profits and government offices and based on research in effective business relationships.

Two Degrees Northwest

If your business is based on artisan food, arts and crafts or experiences, ask about joining Two Degrees Northwest. This program is designed to raise awareness about local place-based businesses, locally sourced food products, wineries, art, heritage and unique hospitality and recreational experiences. The main focus of the program is marketing the arts, handmade goods, local foods and unique experiences that add to a strong rural economy.

Based in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington, and the places between 45 and 47 degrees latitude, the region stretches from the Plummer/Worley area of northern Idaho south to Riggins. From east to west, it includes towns such as Dayton, Clarkston, Uniontown, Colfax and Palouse in southeastern Washington state and across the panhandle of Idaho to the Montana border.

To learn more contact Lorie Higgins.