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 …

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 …

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 …

Purdue Extension has offices in all ninety-two counties in Indiana. Through these offices, our educators are able to spend their workdays (and live their lives) in close proximity to their stakeholders. This constant contact offers insights that go beyond the data and builds networks that other institutions often struggle to replicate. Recently, one of our …

In the last ten years, Indianapolis has embarked on a positive economic path with initiatives such as the “quality of life” plans, “great places” initiatives “neighborhood investment plan,” “inclusive growth strategies,” light rail transit and combating structural racism. Most community development practitioners agree that for the long-term success of a flourishing community, a pipeline of …

This article was originally published in the June/July 2019 issue of Terre Haute Living. Raise your hand if you have attended any business meeting that you roll your eyes and think that the meeting is too long? So often, the agenda and purpose of the meeting can be accomplished in less than 45 minutes, but …

This article was originally published in the May 2019 issue of Terre Haute Living. In a world where we are constantly asked to have more things completed, assigned more tasks and given more responsibilities, it seems there is a never-ending amount of chaos circling around us. Being more productive is one of the items we …

In March of 2015, Purdue Extension Floyd County started offering beginning beekeeping classes. These first classes were met with much enthusiasm! The first class that was offered filled with over 30 people, so it had to be split in two to offer the best learning experience possible for all attendees. This class then led the …