Ste. Genevieve County
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Defining community development is challenging since it doesn't neatly fit into a traditional discipline box. It seeps through and ties together many fields, including economics, sociology, anthropology, and more. We who work in the field don't help the confusion since we may be engaged in very different activities or operating under different beliefs. In general, community development can be summarized as activities that seek to help people improve their quality of life.
| "Community development is an art, grounded in
experience, guided by theory, honed by research, and dispensed with normative
implications. Community development is profound and simple, difficult to define but
clearly recognizable, a moral mandate and a social responsibility." --James A. Christenson & Jerry W. Robinson, Jr. |
In Extension we approach community development from...what else...an educational perspective. We seek to create educational opportunities for local organizations, governments, and individuals that will ultimately increase the ability...the capacity...of the community to help itself. Those educational opportunities may be in a traditional classroom setting, but not always. More often Extension CD staff serve as informal learning facilitators. We may spend time moderating a discussion, helping a group identify their goals, or providing a local government with resources. Our primary focus is dealing with change--from adapting to changing conditions to recognizing and taking advantage of opportunities.
Typical community issues and opportunities include planning; use of new information technologies; economic development; environmental concerns; decaying community infrastructures (such as roads and bridges); and access to medical, recreational and educational services.
What Kinds of Activities and Programs Are Available?
The short answer is: what do you want? Community development specialists use a wide range of teaching methods. We meet with individuals on specific issues, work with existing groups on identifying and effectively reaching their goals, and hold workshops on topics relevant to the local community. We also serve as a catalyst for community change, helping to created needed organizations, linking groups with similar interests and goals, providing reliable information and resources, and facilitating the development of ideas into projects and activities.
Specific services include:
Assisting with the collection and analysis of information important to decision-making--such as helping with survey design, providing sources of (or actual) demographic information and other facts, facilitating public discussions, and more
Facilitating activities that help groups select and implement a course of action, such as strategic planning or goal-setting
Trainings for boards and other organizational entities (such as Chambers of Commerce or local governments)
An experience in citizen involvement through the Crossroads Simulation--a 2 - 3 hour game geared towards youth and adults with limited experience dealing with public issues
Assisting with the use of technology to enhance the local community through the Missouri Express and Community Connections projects
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Ste. Genevieve County University of Missouri Extension
Center stegenevieveco@missouri.edu Last revised: 06/10/08 |
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