~by Steve Yoder, Community Development Regional Educator, Purdue Extension   In the world of grant writing, funders often look for ways to get the biggest bang for the buck. In other words, they’re looking to fund ideas that result in the greatest community impact for each dollar they give away. Funders owe it to their …

~by Dr. Larry DeBoer October 20, 2021   Americans are having fewer children. Reports this past summer showed that the birth rate dropped in 2020, to 56 births per 1,000 women age 15 to 44. Only 5.6 percent of women in their child-bearing years had babies. Early indications for 2021 showed a further decline. Birth …

~by Michael Wilcox Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD)   Each year, the Purdue Extension Community Development team gives thanks. This year, I am thankful for lifelong learning. Cooperative Extension was founded as a resource for lifelong learning for …

~ by Heather Strohm, Regional Extension Educator, Community Development – Purdue University   America is scattered with small companies, and they compose the culture that defines our communities. A business retention and expansion program is designed to ensure the sustainability of businesses within particular communities and regions. Business Retention and Expansion, BR&E, programs are meant to …

Reminders and alerts for Purdue Extension CD educators. Dallas Evans is a native Hoosier and was raised in the small town of Grabill, Indiana.  He went on to study at Ball State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and Geology.  While attending graduate school, majoring in Archaeology, Dallas accepted an opportunity …

~by Dr. Larry DeBoer September 22, 2021   Where is our economy going? Let’s ask some folks whose job it is to forecast the future of the U.S. economy. How about looking at three forecasts – one from government economists, one from academic economists, and one from business economists. The Congressional Budget Office updated its …

~by Steve Yoder, Community Development Regional Educator, Purdue Extension   Over the past two months, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a non-profit organization’s board of directors from the Caribbean Island of Tobago. My assignment, arranged via Zoom through Purdue’s Farmer-to-Farmer program, matched me with the Tobago Agricultural Society. Its board was interested in …

Climate change is spotlighting the importance of managing water resources. Building on previous work (ID-524-W, ID-520-W, ID-519-W), in this publication the authors discuss how the One Water approach can benefit urban communities.   Read the Full Publication…

Energy-intensive development practices contribute to increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which are leading to shifting climate patterns. This publication builds on two previous publications – ID-519-W, Climate Change: Communication strategies to support local planning; and ID-520-W, Climate Change: Are you preparing for it? Read the Full Publication…

This publication provides an overview of how changing climate conditions will affect Indiana and the Midwest and offers sensible strategies for coping with these changes. Understanding past and future environmental changes can help regional policymakers more effectively support local and regional planning efforts. Read the Full Publication…