For me, the recent holiday season put an old adage to the test, is it better to give than to receive? Like most parents of pre-teen and teenage children, I did a lot more of the former than the latter.  Professionally though, I think it is quite a different question – especially in light of …

The American Citizen Planner program, which provides training in core competencies for public planning officials, is now being offered in Indiana twice per year. The online training program is designed to help those serving on plan commissions and other volunteers interested in community planning understand the roles and responsibilities of public officials, community residents and …

As globalization continues to chug along and the digital age continues to take hold, communities in Indiana need to adapt in order to remain competitive. Remaining competitive however, is easier said than done. While adequate broadband infrastructure, an entrepreneurship ecosystem, a knowledge workforce, adequate housing, and access to capital remain key ingredients for this competitiveness, …

Purdue Extension Community Development (CD) and the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) is ecstatic to announce the release of our Digital Ready Businesses (DRB) app (only for Android devices; iOS coming soon)! This app is geared towards small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to improve their online presence by providing classes in the form of …

This is the season when many of us commune together as colleagues at work and family members at home. In the best of circumstances, we trade stories, celebrate our successes and collectively reflect on circumstances that did not work out as we had hoped. Conversely, some of us find ourselves at odds with one another …

Workforce development – a commonly tossed around buzz word – but what exactly is it and what does it look like here in Indiana? For nine months, four former and current Extension educators each spent over 150 hours deeply embedded in learning about workforce development, its challenges and opportunities for improvement. In this post, I’m …

As 2019 comes to a close, the Extension Community Development team wishes you a new year filled with health, happiness and spectacular success. Enjoy reading our team’s reflections on the past year and their professional plans for the new year. Jose Valtierra, Lake County educator As 2019 is winding down, the spirit of cooperation, collaboration …

November is the month that our neighbors and friends engaged in row crop agriculture are usually finishing their harvest. In a similar fashion, our communities are collectively reaping the benefits of the impactful work that Purdue Extension’s Community Development Program has sown throughout the year. As Community Development Extension Professionals, this is the time of …

Written by Emily Del Real, Cheyanne Geideman and Roberto Gallardo Background Earlier this year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center published a report commissioned by Amazon looking at the digital potential of rural businesses. What it found was shocking: if rural businesses were to unleash their digital potential, they would add more than …

So often my travels leave me weaving alongside desolate country roads that are sparsely populated and towns that are blighted with empty, dusty storefronts. Signs that at one time proudly said “Open” now dangled by a single chain, the storefront pleading for its life for any low rent tenant that might re-inhabit, for even a …