The holiday season is upon us all, which means we’re busy buying gifts for our loved ones, decorating our houses from top to bottom, and cooking up a storm in anticipation of a house full of guests. Decorating for the holidays is a long-standing tradition that for many include having a Christmas tree decorated in …

Purdue Extension’s Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing was recently recognized as a national award winner by the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) at their 2018 Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. The award, the national NACDEP Excellence in Teamwork Award, creates a platform for community development work to be showcased in a professional …

Michael Wilcox, Assistant Program Leader for Purdue Extension Community Development, was the May 10 guest speaker for the Community Economics and Leadership Program (CELP) meeting in Indianapolis.  The data snapshot that Michael presented showcased a variety of demographic, economic and labor market information that local leaders and organizations can use to gain a better perspective …

On June 3, the City of Indianapolis, Indy Food Council, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and Purdue Extension-Marion County hosted the People’s Food Summit. The objective of the Food Summit was to bring together the people of the City of Indianapolis and Marion County with City officials and subject-matter experts to engage in developing a …

The Southwestern Indiana Master Gardeners Association (SWIMGA) continues to pioneer efforts on strategic planning for their organization. A group filled the Oakley Library meeting room on Saturday, March 4, as Heather Strohm, Purdue Extension Community Development Regional Educator, led them through goal setting. The Visioning Forum information guided the group through vigorous goal setting activities. Goal champions …

Nearly 50 Southwestern Indiana Master Gardeners Association (SWIMGA) members attended a Visioning Forum on February 4, 2017. Community Development Regional Educators Tanya Hall and Heather Strohm led the members through the morning event. The members participated in four sessions that focused on what SWIMGA does well, what areas have gaps or challenges, where they foresee their vision in 5, 10, …

On November 28, WLFI, Local News Channel 18, featured the story, Logansport leaders work to boost community progress.   The story highlighted a key goal of the local HCI team, which is to share the story of the community’s rich history and local assets.  The article quotes HCI core team member, Michelle Dials, “I think that we …

More and more communities are beginning to recognize the need for place based asset strategies when it comes to economic development. Many community citizens, stakeholders and even economic development professionals find this a new idea and wonder exactly what this is…

The Hometown Collaboration Initiative, an Initiative of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) is accepting applications from communities or counties with a current population of 25,000 or fewer. “Indiana is dotted with nearly 700 small cities and towns, and HCI is the right initiative to help strengthen the long-term vitality of these …

Small towns across Indiana are trying modernize their economies and hold onto younger residents. But where do they start? With jobs? Quality of life? Or somewhere else entirely? Making that decision can be complicated as residents found out recently in Orange County. It’s home to Lost River Market & Deli, which looks a little out …