It is a commonly held notion that many smaller communities have ten people that do everything. They serve on committees and boards, and they plan festivals and network with business leaders. Often, they do not occupy positions of power. Instead, they generate new ideas and see them through using their tenacity, passion, and goodwill. On …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Dear Purdue Extension Community Development Colleagues and Partners – We have all heard the old saying, “Change is the only constant in life.” Spoken 2,500 years ago in Greek as “Panta Rhei (πάντα ῥεῖ) or “Everything flows,” I am reminded of it every year when the new semester begins and our campus is flooded with …

Dear Purdue Extension Community Development Colleagues and Partners – This is my first full week serving as the Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development with Purdue Extension. I am excited about this opportunity to lead our Extension Program Area to new heights, while positively impacting Indiana residents and setting a national standard for …

DEI Indy earned the second highest team, out of a total of 28 teams, for the North Central region at the Impact Collaborative summit in Atlanta. As a result of our work, DEI Indy has been invited to apply for a $5,000 grant to help bring new capacity to our project. Our project is Learn …

George Okantey, Purdue Extension Community Development educator in Marion County, was recently named a recipient of the Robert O. Zdenek Staff Member of the Year Award by Prosperity Indiana. The award, which was presented last week at the 2019 Prosperity Indiana Summit, is for his contributions to the organization and to the community economic development …

Community projects are a component of many of the Purdue Extension Community Leadership Programs across the state. The Leadership Daviess County Class of 2018 addressed active living through their project to install 25 bike racks throughout the city of Washington, Indiana. The bike racks were designed to meet one of the goals of the Active …

The Community Development Achievement Award is presented to a Community Development Society (CDS) member in recognition of his or her outstanding contribution to community development.  The person may be recognized for teaching, research, practice, programming, administration or any combination of these roles. “My sincere thanks to Michael Wilcox and other colleagues who supported my nomination.  …