Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:The SRDC's three priorities, as identified by the Technical and Operational Advisory Committee and approved by the Board of Directors, remain relevant to the South. These priorities are: (l) Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities, (2) Build Strategic Partnerships, and (3) Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Opportunities. The Center will continue to develop pathways to resilient communities through SERA 47 - a local and regional foods initiative, increasing broadband access and adoption by working with the National Digital Education Extension Team and 4H Tech Changemakers, and assisting with the National Sustainability Summit. Under the second priority, Building Strategic Partnerships, SRDC will explore opportunities to strengthen rural retail training endeavors through CREATE BRTDGES, facilitate the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement's Community Prosperity Summits, support leadership development efforts in the Southern Region Program Leadership Network and manage content for the Southern Region Community Resource Development Indicators. For the third priority, the Center will continue to focus on mobilizing resources around emerging issues and opportunities by working on community capacity building, taking an emphasis on rural water and sewer infrastructure, collaborating on heirs' property issues, and working on the upcoming 2020 Census. Tn addition, the SRDC will focus on this priority through the Coming Together for Racial Understanding initiative, the Southern CRD Webinar Series, and the Facilitative Leadership program via Michigan State University. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 required many of the SRDC efforts to continue to adapt to enw environments, primarily around translating learning and collaboration efforts into online platforms. Through this, the SRDC was able to advance efforts on all relevant goals and also develop and share new skills for online engagement. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Training and professional development - List any events SRDC has hosted or co-sponsored including date, event, and location. Use a bullet list. September 15, 2020 - Virtual Conference. Louisiana Community Prosperity Summit. September 18, 2020 - Pizana, Dionardo & Welborn, Rachel (September 18, 2020) Recognizing How Our Identities Influence Our Lives and Interactions. Webinar presented to the Association of Extension Administrators and the Association of Southern Region Extension Directors. September 21, 2020 - Welborn, Rachel & Emery, Mary (September 21, 2020) Gauging Impacts of Coming Together for Racial Understanding (CTRU) through Ripple Mapping. Online pilot process with Coming Together for Racial Understanding Training Teams. September 28, 2020 - Raison, B., Welborn, R., Hughes, W. (September 28, 2020) Inclusive Excellence: Systematic Approaches to System Change. Webinar in collaboration with the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy. September 30, 2020 - Leatherman, J., Welborn, R., Sartor, M., Hughes, W. (September 30, 2020) Best Practices for Rural Youth Programming. Webinar in collaboration with National 4-H Council. Pizana, Dionardo, Welborn R., Burton, D., Tyler-Mackey, C., Harper, A., Emery, M. Coming Together for Racial Understanding Four Part Mini-series. Webinar based including these sessions: Overview of Coming Together for Racial Understanding Understanding Target and Non-Target Identities Exploring Four Levels of Change Introduction to Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation Conducted with three different groups: Association of Extension Administrators and Association of Southern Region Extension Directors, August 27, September 18, October 16, November 20 University of Georgia Extension Leadership Team, October 30, November 20, December 4 and 11 New Mexico State University - November 17 and 24, December 1 and 8 October 20, 2020 - Virtual Conference. New Mexico Community Prosperity Summit October 29, 2020. CREATE BRIDGES Phase II Resource Listing Webinar. Zoom. November 5-6, 2020 - OPPE Building Community Capacity around Housing Workshop, Virtual. November 6, 2020 - OPPE Strategies for Farm Bill Workshop, Virtual. November 10-12, 2020 - OPPE Family Farm Finance Workshop, Virtual. Three-part webinar series. November 18, 2020 - OPPE Heirs Property Workshop, Virtual. Welborn, Rachel, Tyler-Mackey, C., Jakes, S., Eley, M., Kay, D., Parker, K. Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation online dialogue series for Southern Region Community Development State Program Leaders. November 18, December 2, January 6, 13,20,27, Feb. 10. December 7, 2020. Business Retention & Expansion Train-the Trainer for CREATE BRIDGES Phase II. Zoom. December 8&10, 2020 - OPPE Building Community Capacity Around Youth Workshop, Virtual. - two-part webinar series. December 9-11, 2020 - SERA-47 Professional Development Activity & 2020 Annual Meeting, Virtual. Pizana, Dionardo, Welborn R., Abdullah, C.; Whiting, G.; Smith, C.; Burton, D., Tyler-Mackey, C., Harper, A., Coming Together for Racial Understanding Virtual Train-the-Trainer Workshop Series - January 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28, February 3, 4, 11, 2021 February 4, 2021 - Welborn, Rachel; Pizana, D.; Elrod, B. Coming Together for Racial Understanding Tasting Session. Board of Human Science and Council for the Administration of Family & Consumer Science. February 18, 2021 - SERA-47 Tea and Coffee Hour, Virtual. February 23, 2021 - CRED National Indicators Working Group Webinar Series: Moving Ripple Effects Mapping Online, Virtual. February 23 & 24, 2020 - Welborn, Rachel & Emery, Mary. Gauging Impacts of Coming Together for Racial Understanding (CTRU) through Ripple Mapping. Online Impact Assessment of Coming Together for Racial Understanding. March 8, 2021 - SERA-47 Learning Community Series Presentation: Building Local Food Systems for University Farm-to- Institution Programs, Virtual. April 15, 2021 - SERA-47 Tea and Coffee Hour, Virtual. May 5, 2021. CREATE Academy Train-the-trainer for CREATE BRIDGES. Zoom. May 6, 2021 - SERA-47 Focus Hour, Virtual. May 10, 2021 - SERA-47 Learning Community Series Presentation: UK as an Example of Successful Farm-to-Institution Procurement, Virtual. June 10, 2021 - Webinar. Welborn, Rachel. Using Ripple Mapping to Measure Impacts June 18, 2021 - Welborn, Rachel; Pizana, D.; Burton, D. Coming Together for Racial Understanding Tasting Session, American Association of Family & Consumer Science. June 30, 2021 - Webinar. Garner, R. & White, J. SR-PLN Committee Officer Training July 12, 2021 - SERA-47 Learning Community Series Presentation: Post-pandemic Risk Management Practices for Limited Resource Farmers, Virtual. July 22, 2021 - Welborn, Rachel. Coming Together for Racial Understanding Impacts Report to the Extension Committee on Operations and Policy. August 2, 2021 - Welborn, Rachel. DEi Lessons Learned from Coming Together for Racial Understanding. North Central Mini-Land Grant Conference. Virtual. August 4-5, 2021 - Virtual Meeting. Green, John. Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging. August 19, 2021 - SERA-47 Tea and Coffee Hour, Virtual. August 23, 2021 - Webinar. Garner, R. & Weinstein, M. SR-PLN Newcomer Orientation August 23-26, 2021 - Virtual Conference. Southern Region Program Leaders Network. Pizana, Dionardo, Welborn R., Abdullah, C.; Whiting, G. Burton, D., Tyler-Mackey, C., Harper, A., Coming Together for Racial Understanding Directors/Administrators Series for the Association of Extension Administrators and the Association of Southern Region Extension Directors. Sessions and dates were: Target/Non-target; I Remember - September 18, 2020 Four Levels of Change - October 16, 2020 Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation Dialogue Series (7 sessions) How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The following presentations, print media, and other dissemination opportunities have been used to share results: SRDC Website: http://srdc.msstate.edu/ Quarterly Calls - Southern Region Program Leaders Committee 29 Listservs representing various stakeholder groups within Cooperative Extension Service, Research, & by topics of significance to the rural South such as broadband, local foods, heirs' property, etc. Quarterly Calls - SERA-47 Local & Regional Foods Leadership Committee Quarterly Calls - The Racial Wealth Gap, Persistent Poverty, and Heirs' Property: Analysis, Connections, and Solutions Heirs Property Team Update December 7, 2020 - 78th Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference December, 2020. Southern Rural Development Center Reimagining A Rural Vision: 2020 Annual Report. Authors: Spiering, K., Turner S., Welborn, R., Garner, R., Langford, G., Green, E., & Narmour, L. Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, MS. Disseminated to over 400 individuals. Extension Committee on Operations and Policy Program Committee, monthly meetings, representing the Regional Rural Development Centers and providing updates to Coming Together for Racial Understanding. Regional Rural Development Centers monthly meetings, collaboration on rural issues facing the nation National Digital Education Extension Team monthly meetings, rural broadband issues. Heirs' Property monthly meetings, advancing Extension, research and non-LGU partnerships around heirs' property issues. July 22, 2021 - Extension Committee on Operations and Policy - Impact report from Coming Together for Racial Understanding August 26, 2021 - Southern Rural Development Center, 2020-2021 update [presentation]. Joint meeting of the Association of Extension Administrators & Association of Southern Region Extension Directors. Virtual. NIFA support acknowledged. Green, J. J. & Welborn, R. SRDC Board of Directors quarterly calls and annual meeting (October 14-15, 2020; January 27, 2021; April 14, 2021; July 14, 2021) SRDC Technical Operations and Advisory Committee quarterly calls and annual meeting (October 13-14, 2020; January 25, 2021; April 12, 2021; July 12, 2021) National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Board Calls, monthly calls, Regional Rural Development Center updates January 22, 2021 - National Urban Extension Leadership team, update on Coming Together for Racial Understanding Southern Region Community Resource Development State Program Leaders Meetings (October 14, 2020; December 9, 2020; February 10, 2021; April 14, 2021; June 9, 2021; July 14, 2021, August 24-26, 2021) SRDC maintains and disseminates information through 29 active listservs dedicated to specific stakeholder group needs including broadband, heirs' property, National Community Development Program Leaders, eight State Program Leader groups in the Southern Region, local/regional foods, Regional Rural Development Centers, Coming Together for Racial Understanding teams Monthly Calls - CREATE BRIDGES. Leadership team meeting from six states and SRDC. Annual Meeting - SERA-47 (December 12) Monthly Around the South Newsletter, electronic distribution to 889 subscribers What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? While COVID-19 continued to create challenges, the Southern Rural Development Center consistently worked to build capacity around key rural development issues across the South, and in some instances, across the nation, in partnership with Land-Grant Universities through Extension and research. This year's efforts resulted in 40 training workshops conducted, eight multi-state teams formed or supported, five curricula developed or expanded, $500,000 in new funds leveraged, multiple virtual engagement practices adopted, and several new partnerships established, each of which has served to advance rural development. Among the topics for these efforts were community dialogue around race relations, local foods, rural retail/tourism economies, socially disadvantaged farmers/ranchers, family farm financial planning, broadband, and heirs' property. More specific details are provided below. Under the three overarching goals, SRDC has completed the following: Priority One: Develop Pathways for Vibrant Communities. (a) SRDC continued to facilitate the SERA 47 Local Foods initiative through coaching of the leadership team, supporting their virtual webinar series, and helping to plan the annual meeting slated for December 2021. Additionally, SRDC has worked with the team in preparing its next SERA proposal due for review in fall 2021. (b) SRDC provided leadership to the National Digital Education Extension Team (NDEET), a national team of CES professionals working to build CES capacity to respond to broadband access and usage needs in communities. This team supported the 4H/Microsoft Tech Changemakers project focusing on building digital literacy skills in communities just gaining access to broadband as needed. NDEET helped identify resources to support rural broadband efforts to adapt to COVID-19 challenges. This team also has identified a set of training needs around community planning and building digital literacy skills and has begun work to address these needs through a new training to be piloted in the coming year. (c) In 2019, SRDC served on the planning committee for the National Sustainability Summit, held in April 16-19 with approximately 185 attending. https://www.nationalextensionsummits.com/ Priority Two: Build Strategic Partnerships. (a) SRDC continued to oversee the CREATE BRIDGES initiative initiated in six regions across three states (Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma). Three new states joined Phase II this year (Illinois, New Mexico, North Carolina) and were trained in a completely virtual setting. They have also done much of the community work remotely, again leading to new insights into virtual partnerships and education. (b) In partnership with the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, SRDC facilitated one additional state (New Mexico) Community Summits in which rural community members engaged with USDA staff to explore opportunities for advancing the USDA Rural and Ag. Prosperity Priorities. Additionally, four other train-the-trainer workshops were held within this partnership covering Farm Family Finance, Strategies for Farm Bill Opportunities and Conservation, Heirs' Property, and Youth Development. These workshops put timely tools and information into the hands of LGU professionals and NGO professionals working to build local community capacity on these issues. (c) SRDC continued to provide support for the Southern Region Program Leadership Network by assisting in planning the annual meeting (which was online this year), providing logistic support for all committees throughout the year, and working closely with the Community Resource Development (CRD) committee (and other committees as appropriate) on issues related to rural development. (d) Specific to the work with the CRD committee, the SRDC facilitated gathering and reporting of annual regional indicators. Additionally, in 2021, a supplemental COVID-19 impact report was compiled, adding impact data specific to the pandemic to the report initiated last year. Priority Three: Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues. (a) Through SRDC leadership, Coming Together for Racial Understanding, a curriculum around community dialogue, was employed in a third training in Spring 2021 with three new states joining the previous 26 from 2018 and 2019. This training was completely virtual, lending new insights into how online processes can be adapted to build trust in remote groups. SRDC has continued to support these teams throughout the year through monthly coaching calls, emails, and webinars. A tandem research team has formed under SRDC's guidance to examine the ways participants feel supported in advancing civil dialogue efforts. This group led a Ripple Mapping process and tandem survey to gauge early impacts of efforts. (b) In support of rural water and sewer infrastructure, SRDC completed a literature review in the previous year. (c) Building upon the work begun in 2017, SRDC, along with its partners, continue to build capacity to address heirs' property concerns. Five teams, formed in spring 2020, continue to meet with SRDC support to address concerns. The teams are research, education/outreach, partnership development, legal/policy and funding. A group including Mississippi State University, Tuskegee University, the Center for Heirs' Prosperity Preservation, and the U.S. Forest Service has already been able to leverage $499,998 to support research efforts. (d) SRDC provided webinars and a website to help disseminate timely communication in support of Extension efforts to promote rural participation in the 2020 Census. As a new emerging issue and in partnership with The Pennsylvania State University, Syracuse University, University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of Mississippi, the SRDC coordinated and hosted a two-day virtual conference as part of the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA).

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Turner, S.C (2020, September 30). An Applied Economist and Rural and Community Development Policy: Navigation, Persistence, and Relationships, Presentation. Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting, Virtual.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Garner, J.R. (2020, December 7). The Southern Rural Development Center and heirs property, [Conference presentation]. Professional Agriculture Workers Conference, L.A. Potts Success Stories, Auburn, AL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Turner, S.C. (2021, July 31). Economic Literacy in Public Policymaking. Co-Organizer & Moderator. Organized Symposium. Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Turner, S.C. (2021, August 3). Leadership Development for Agricultural and Applied Economists. Moderator. Pre- Conference Workshop. Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Southern Rural Development Center, Center for Population Studies, & Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA) (2021, Aug. 4-5). Expanding our perspectives and approaches to rural population health and aging. INRPHA 2021 Virtual Meeting.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Green, J. J. (2021, Aug. 11). From snapshots to collage: Exploring continuity and change in rural Mississippi. Wavelands Ground Zero Hurricane Museum in Partnership with the Mississippi Humanities Council, Museum on Main Street, and Smithsonian Institutes Exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America. Waveland, MS.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Green, J. J. & Welborn, R. (2021, Aug. 24). Southern Rural Development Center, 2020-2021 update. Community Resource Development Committee of the Southern Region Program Leadership Network. Virtual.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Green, J. J. & Welborn, R. (2021, Aug. 26). Southern Rural Development Center, 2020-2021 update. Joint meeting of the Association of Extension Administrators & Association of Southern Region Extension Directors. Virtual.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Goins, G., Cook, S., Bhowmik, A., Sharma, H., Yeboah, O., & Gayle, G. (2020, Nov. 6). Strategies for Farm Bill Opportunities & Conservation. Recording online at http://srdc.msstate.edu/community-prosperity/strategies-workshop.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Reed, A., McCarthy, A., Banks, C., Crosby, I., Moten-Thomas, J., Brooks, R., & Boley, T. (2020, Nov.10-12) Farm Financial Literacy. Recording online at http://srdc.msstate.edu/community-prosperity/financial-literacy.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Zabawa, R., Woods, K., Bailey, C., Horne, S., & Picciano, L. (2020, Nov. 18). Heirs Property. Recording online at http://srdc.msstate.edu/community-prosperity/heirs-property.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Walcott, Eric; Raison, B., Welborn, R., Pirog, R., Emery, M., Stout, M. Hendrix, L., Ostrom, M., (2020) We (All) Need to Talk about Race: Building Extensions Capacity for Dialogue and Action. Journal of Extension. October 2020. Volume 58, Number 5. https://archives.joe.org/joe/2020october/comm1.php
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Welborn, Rachel. (2020) Coming Together for Racial Understanding Annual Report documenting the progress of the 26- state initiative. http://srdc.msstate.edu/civildialogue/2020-CTRU-training-report-12-2.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2020). Southern Rural Development Center 2020 Annual Report. MS State: Southern Rural Development Center. http://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/annual/2020-SRDC-Annual-Report_Reduced.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2020, September 25). Around the South Newsletter, 16(8). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/16_8_sept20.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2020, October 23). Around the South Newsletter, 16(9). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/16_9_oct20.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2020, November 20). Around the South Newsletter, 16(10). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/16_10_nov20.html
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kelly, C., editor (2021, May 7). Around the South Newsletter, 17(1). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/17_1_may21.html
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kelly, C., editor (2021, June 23). Around the South Newsletter, 17(2). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/17_2_june21.html
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kelly, C., editor (2021, July 27). Around the South Newsletter, 17(3). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/17_3_july21.html
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kelly, C., editor (2021, August 23). Around the South Newsletter, 17(4). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Siems, S., Langford, G., & Dunn, J.. (Eds.). (2020). CREATE BRIDGES Project: Celebrating REtail, Accommodations, Tourism, and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies. Information sheet, updated. Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, MS
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., Turner S., Welborn, R., Garner, R., Langford, G., Green, E., & Narmour, L. (2020). Southern Rural Development Center Reimagining A Rural Vision: 2020 Annual Report. Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, MS.

Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:The SRDC will continue to focus on three priorities that impact the sustainability of Southern rural communities, as identified by the Technical and Operational Advisory Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. These priorities are: (1) Develop Pathways to Resilient Communities, (2) Build Strategic Partnerships, and (3) Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues and Report Date 07/01/2019 Page 1 of 4 United States Department of Agriculture Project Initiation Accession No. 1019841 Project No. MIS-605530 Opportunities. The Center will continue to develop pathways to resilient communities through (a) supporting the SERA 47 local and regional foods initiative, (b) increasing broadband access and adoption by working with the National Digital Education Extension Team and 4H Tech Changemakers, and (c) assisting with planning the National Sustainability Summit. Under the second priority, Building Strategic Partnerships, SRDC will (a) explore opportunities to strengthen rural retail training endeavors through CREATE BRIDGES, (b) facilitate the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement's Community Prosperity Summits, (c) support leadership development efforts in the Southern Region Program Leadership Network, and (d) coordinate development of the annual Southern Region Community Resource Development Indicators report. For the third priority, the Center will continue to focus on mobilizing resources around emerging issues and opportunities by (a) developing community capacity through civil dialogue (Coming Together for Racial Healing) and facilitation training, (b) examining best practices on rural water and sewer infrastructure, (c) facilitating collaboration on heirs' property issues, and (d) examining opportunities to increase rural participation in the 2020 Census. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 required many of the SRDC efforts to rapidly adapt to new environments, primarily around translating learning and collaboration efforts into online platforms. Through this, the SRDC was able to continue working on all relevant goals and also learned new skills in online program delivery. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? October 17-18, 2018 - Welborn, R., key informant on civil dialogue, eXtension Impact Collaborative, Indianapolis, IN October 30, 2018 - Southern CRD Webinar. Citizenship in Action: How Extension can Engage and Educate Voters. November 8, 2018 - Welborn, R., Panelist, RON convening, Des Moines, IA November 12, 2018 - Southern CRD Webinar. Does Extension Need Highly Visible Educational Programs. November 20, 2018 - National CRED Indicators Webinar. What's Your Program Worth? Evaluation Strategies for Documenting the Dollar Value of Extension Programs. December 5, 2018 - Southern CRD Webinar. Community Engagement through Partnership. December 11-12, 2018 - Welborn, R., & Garner, R., Heirs' Property Steering Committee Meeting, Atlanta, GA, "Heirs' Properties: Exploring a Southern Region Approach" January 14, 2019 - Webinar. CREATE BRIDGES Asset Mapping. Presenters: Dunn, J. & Siems, S. January 15-16, 2019 - 4-H Tech Changemaker National Program Leaders' Workshop, Chevy Chase, MD January 22, 2019 - Southern CRD Webinar. Exploring Ways to Engage Limited Resource Communities in Disaster Education - Strategies from the 1890 EDEN Advisory Group February 22-23, 2019 - 4-H Tech Changemaker Regional Train-the-Trainer Workshop, Chevy Chase, MD February 28, 2019 - Southern CRD Webinar. Empowering Minority Students with an Entrepreneurial Mindset March 1-2, 2019 - 4-H Tech Changemaker Regional Train-the-Trainer Workshop, Columbus, OH March 5, 2019 - Webinar. Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation: How to Convene a Conversation. Presenter: Gwen Whiting, Everyday Democracy. March 15-16, 2019 - 4-H Tech Changemaker Regional Train-the-Trainer Workshop, Chicago, IL March 18, 2019 - Webinar. Coming Together for Racial Healing Planning Process. Presenter: Cade Smith, University of Mississippi. March 26, 2019 - Southern CRD Webinar. Equipping Georgia's New Farmers for Success April 16-19, 2019 - National Sustainability Summit & National Extension Energy Summit, Tampa, FL April 22, 2019 - National CRED Indicators Webinar. Decision-Making Tools and Methods for Communities April 26, 2019 - Southern CRD Webinar. Building a Regional Coalition for Natural Resource Conservation May-August, 2019 - Business Retention and Expansion Volunteer Trainings. Ash Flat, AR; Lockesburg, AR; Barnsdall, OK; Bristow, OK; Cleveland, OK; Grove, OK; Pawnee, OK; Pryor, OK; Sallisaw, OK; Tahlequah, OK. Presenters: Dunn, J. B., McCullough, Shideler, D. W., & Siems, S. May 23-24, 2019 - Community Prosperity Summit, Philadelphia, PA - Helping rural communities address USDA Ag & Rural Prosperity Priorities through USDA resources. May 29-30, 2019 - Community Prosperity Summit, Houston, TX - Helping rural communities address USDA Ag & Rural Prosperity Priorities through USDA resources. May 30, 2019 - Southern CRD Webinar. Community Food Systems: A Space for Ecology, Justice, and Markets June 12-13, 2019 - Coming Together for Racial Healing Workshop, Jackson, MS. Presenters: Becky Smith, Mississippi State University; Cade Smith, University of Mississippi. June 18, 2019 - Southern CRD Webinar. Telling the Whole Story: Economic Contribution and Cotton Cooperatives June 19-20, 2019 - Community Prosperity Summit, Phoenix, AZ - Helping rural communities address USDA Ag & Rural Prosperity Priorities through USDA resources. June 25-26, 2019 - Community Prosperity Summit, Atlanta, GA - Helping rural communities address USDA Ag & Rural Prosperity Priorities through USDA resources. July 26, 2019 - Southern CRD Webinar. Creating Bridges for the Rural Retail Workforce: Bringing Businesses and Employees Together to Identify Long-Term Employment Solutions for Rural Retail July 26, 2019 - Webinar. 2020 Census: What Can Cooperative Extension Contribute? Sept. 16-19, 2019 - Faith-Based Community Prosperity Convening, Washington, DC Sept. 23-26, 2019 - Welborn, R., & Dudensing, R. Community Prosperity Summit Train-the-Trainer Workshop, Houston, TX October 2, 2019 - National CRED Indicators Webinar. The 'But for' Principle: Getting to Your Impact. October 7-11, 2019 - Welborn, R., Pizaña, D., Abdullah, C., Emery, M., Kay, D., Smith, C., & Whiting, G. Coming Together for Racial Understanding, Bloomington, MN November 11, 2019 - Welborn, R. Applying DEI Principles on Campuses and in Communities. Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA November 12-15, 2019 - CRD 101 and Facilitative Leadership. Facilitative Leadership, Dallas, TX December 4, 2019 - Welborn, R., & Garner, R. Heirs' Property Planning Meeting, Atlanta, GA December 4-6, 2019 - Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund Conference, Atlanta, GA December 12, 2019 - SERA-47 Annual Conference, Savannah, GA January 22, 2020 - Webinar. Welborn, R. Shifting from Debate to Dialogue: Let's Talk. In collaboration with the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals. January 30, 2020 - Webinar. 2020 Census. February 12, 2020 - Webinar. Heirs' Property Project: Where Are We Now? February 24-25, 2020 - Southern Region Heirs' Property Planning Meeting, Atlanta, GA March 2, 2020 - Webinar. Welborn, R., Boyster, S., Kahl, D., Robinson, J., & Vines, N. Working with Virtual Teams in a Research Context. In collaboration with Mississippi State University Office ofthe Vice President for Research. March 19, 2020 - Southern CRD Webinar. The Georgia Initiative for Community Housing: Addressing Housing Issues from the Bottom Up. March 23, 2020 - Webinar. Langford, G., & Welborn, R. Introduction to CREATE BRIDGES. April 10, 2020 - Webinar. Onboarding and Training for Phase II State Coaches. April 14, 2020 - Southern CRD Webinar. Rural Resiliency - How to Support Mental Health in Rural Communities April 29, 2020 - Webinar. Welborn, R., & Davis, A. Using Ripple Mapping to Plan COVID Responses in Family and Consumer Science. In collaboration with University of Kentucky, Center for Economic Development in Kentucky (CEDIK) May 14, 2020 - Webinar. Onboarding and Training for Phase II State Coaches. May 26, 2020 - Webinar. Onboarding and Training for Phase II State Coaches. June 3-5, 2020 - CREATE BRIDGES Webinar. Help your business survive and thrive. Presenter: Dr. James Barnes, Mississippi State University June 24, 2020 - Virtual Conference. Oklahoma Community Prosperity Summit. June 26, 2020 - Webinar. Welborn, R., Pizaña, D., Latimore, M., Jones, E., & Williams, C. Using Dialogues to Foster Understanding across Racial & Ethnic Groups. Presented to CooperativeExtension Service leaders in collaboration with the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy. July 3, 2020 - Virtual Conference. Texas Community Prosperity Summit. July 8, 15, 22, 2020 - Virtual Workshop. Building Capacity to Serve Veterans Workshop. July 14-16, 2020 - Webinar. Onboarding and Training for Phase II State Coaches. July 16, 2020 - Webinar. Langford, G. & Welborn, R. Evaluating CREATE BRIDGES. July 22, 2020 - Virtual Conference. Arkansas Community Prosperity Summit. July 27-28, 2020 - Virtual Workshop. Building Capacity around Housing Workshop. August 3, 6, 2020 - Virtual Workshop. Building Capacity to Serve Youth Workshop. August 5-6, 2020 - Virtual Workshop. Building Capacity to Serve Socially Disadvantaged Farmers andRanchers Workshop. August 7, 2020 - Virtual Conference. Virginia Community Prosperity Summit. August 11-12, 2020 - Virtual Workshop. Building Capacity to Write Grants Workshop. August 24-27, 2020 - Virtual Conference. Southern Region Program Leaders Network. August 27, 2020 - Webinar. Pizaña, D., & Welborn, R.Using Dialogues to Foster Understanding Across Racial & Ethnic Groups. Presented to the Association of Extension Administrators and theAssociation of Southern Region Extension Directors. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? October 15-16, 2019 - Regional Rural Development Center meeting with federal agencies, Washington, D.C October 22-24, 2019 - SRDC Annual Board of Directors and Technical & Operational Advisory Committee Meeting, Starkville, MS December 4-6, 2019 - Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund Conference, Atlanta, GA December 10, 2019 - 77th Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Heirs' Property and Persistent Poverty: What do the Numbers Say?, Auburn, AL December 10, 2019 - 77th Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Amplifying Rural Voices and the 2020 Census, Auburn, AL January 27-28, 2020 - Regional Rural Development Center meeting with federal agencies, Washington, D.C. February 4, 2020 - Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, An Empirical Analysis Heirs' Property and Persistent Poverty, Louisville, KY February 7, 2020 - CREATE BRIDGES interest webinar for Community and Economic Development specialists at Land-Grant Universities. April 20-21, 2020 - Regional Rural Development Center meeting with federal agencies, Virtual Meeting August 25, 2020 - SRDC Annual Update to the Association of Extension Administrators, Virtual Meeting August 26, 2020 - SRDC Annual Update to the Association of Southern Region Extension Directors, Virtual Meeting August 27, 2020 - CREATE BRIDGES One-pager. Monthly Calls - Extension Committee on Operations and Policy Program Committee, Coming Together for Racial Understanding. Monthly Calls - Regional Rural Development Centers. Collaboration on rural issues facing the nation. Monthly Calls - National Digital Education Extension Team. Rural broadband issues. Quarterly Calls - SRDC Board of Directors (January 29, April 16, July 15) Quarterly Calls - SRDC Technical Operations and Advisory Committee (January 27, April 13, July 13) Monthly Around the South Newsletter, electronic distribution to 900 subscribers Annual Report distributed to over 200 stakeholder groups, program leaders, and other various groups 15 Listservs representing various stakeholder groups within Cooperative Extension Service, Research, & by topics of significance to the rural South such as broadband, local foods, heirs' property, etc. Community Resource Development webinars reaching 349 total viewers both nationally and in the southern region What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?These goals continue to be relevant with many more opportunities to build capacity. Specific steps are noted. The Center will continue to develop pathways to resilient communities through (a) supporting the SERA 47 local and regional foods initiative as it builds out its next 5-year proposal, (b) increasing broadband access and adoption by working with the National Digital Education Extension Team on its new strategic plan which will initiate fall 2020. Also, SRDC and NDEET will be working with National 4-H Council to translate some of the 4H Tech Changemaker training into an online format. (c) The National Sustainability Summit was completed. Under the second priority, Building Strategic Partnerships, SRDC will (a) explore opportunities to strengthen rural retail training endeavors through continued work on the CREATE BRIDGES project in which three new states have recently been added. (b) SRDC will continue its partnership with USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement by providing support for three additional online Community Prosperity Summits and continuing to develop training to support key rural issues with an emphasis on socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. (c) SRDC will continue to support leadership development efforts in the Southern Region Program Leadership Network and (d) coordinate development of the annual Southern Region Community Resource Development Indicators report. For the third priority, the Center will continue to focus on mobilizing resources around emerging issues and opportunities by (a) developing community capacity through civil dialogue (Coming Together for Racial Healing), (b) examining best practices on rural water and sewer infrastructure, and (c) facilitating collaboration on heirs' property issues. (d) The 2020 Census has ended.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The Southern Rural Development Center has worked diligently to build capacity around key rural development issues across the South, and in some instances, across the nation, working with Land-Grant University partners through Extension and research. This year's efforts have resulted in This year's efforts have resulted in 11 training workshops conducted, four multi-state teams formed or supported, four curriculum developed or expanded, $1,351,369 leveraged, and several new partnerships established, all of which advanced important rural development issues such as regional economic development, civil dialogue around race relations, local foods, child poverty, health care, and heirs' property. More specific details are provided below. Under the three overarching goals, SRDC has completed the following: Priority One: Develop Pathways for Vibrant Communities. (a) SRDC continued to facilitate the SERA 47 Local Foods initiative through coaching of the leadership team and helping to plan the annual meeting slated for December 2019. (b) SRDC provided leadership to the National Digital Education Extension Team (NDEET), a national team of CES professionals working to build CES capacity to respond to broadband access and usage needs in communities. This team was instrumental in helping develop materials to launch the 4H/Microsoft Tech Changemakers project focusing on building digital literacy skills in communities just gaining access to broadband. Five training events engaged approximately 370 youth and adult participants to advance digital literacy in 80 counties across 13 states. SRDC is also supporting NDEET's efforts to catalogue broadband access materials on a national website. Resources have been identified and SRDC is helping to organize the materials. (c) SRDC served on the planning committee for the National Sustainability Summit, held in April 16-19 with approximately 185 attending. https://www.nationalextensionsummits.com/ 2. Priority Two: Build Strategic Partnerships. (a) SRDC is overseeing the CREATE BRIDGES initiative being piloted in six regions across three states. Curriculum has been developed for the pilot and plans are underway to expand to additional regions. (b) In partnership with the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, SRDC facilitated four Community Prosperity Summits in which rural community members engaged with USDA staff to explore opportunities for advancing the USDA Rural and Ag. Prosperity Priorities. Over 500 individuals participated across the nation. Evaluations indicate that participants left the Summits ready to act on new opportunities discovered at the events. (c) SRDC continued to provide support for the Southern Region Program Leadership Network by assisting in planning the annual meeting, providing logistic support for all committees throughout the year, and working closely with the Community Resource Development (CRD) committee (and other committees as appropriate) on issues related to rural development. (d) Specific to the work with the CRD committee, the SRDC facilitated gathering and reporting of annual regional indicators. 3. Priority Three: Mobilize Resources around Emerging Issues. (a) Through SRDC leadership, Coming Together for Racial Understanding, a curriculum around civil dialogue, was launched in August 2018 with 20 states participating. Curriculum is currently being refined in expectation of a second training in October 2019. SRDC has continued to support these teams throughout the year through monthly coaching calls, emails, and webinars. A tandem research team has formed under SRDC's guidance to examine the ways participants feel supported in advancing civil dialogue efforts. Additionally, SRDC is working with Michigan State to coordinate facilitation training for the Southern Region slated for fall, 2019. SRDC has identified a team of four that were trained at the Michigan State University's Facilitation Workshop. These trainers will join the Michigan team to provide the workshop in the South in the fall, 2019. (b) In support of infrastructure, SRDC is currently surveying the extent of work around rural water and sewer systems done by Extension and research professionals throughout the region, as well as exploring the work that other potential partners are doing. (c) Building upon the work begun in 2017, SRDC, along with its partners, the Southern Extension Risk Management Education (SERME), Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (S-SARE) program, the North Central Extension and Research Activity (NCERA2172), initiated steps to develop a more focused examination of the heirs' property problem. A steering committee has been convened and SRDC received an AFRI seed grant to help advance this work. A survey has also been completed and plans are moving forward for a fall convening across research and Extension. (d) SRDC worked with the Mississippi Data Center to host a regional webinar followed by a face-to-face planning session to explore ways Extension could work more seamlessly to support rural participation in the 2020 Census. Additionally, SRDC continued its successful webinar series that showcased a different southern-led community development project each month. These sessions were recorded and are available: http://srdc.msstate.edu/trainings/crdwebinars.html

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Turner, S.C., & Green, J. (2019, December 10). Amplifying Rural Voices and the 2020 Census, Presentation. Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Auburn AL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Turner, S.C., Johnson Gaither, C., & Harri, A. (2019, December 10). Heirs Property and Persistent Poverty: What do the Numbers Say? Presentation. Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Auburn AL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Turner, S.C., Johnson Gaither, C., & Harri, A. (2020, February 4). An Empirical Analysis Heirs Property and Persistent Poverty. Presentation. Southern Agricultural Economics Association, Louisville, KY.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Turner, S.C. (2019). Theme Overview: Amplifying the Rural Voice: 2020 Census Challenges and Opportunities. Choices, Quarter 4. https://www.choicesmagazine.org/choices-magazine/theme-articles/amplifying-the-rural-voice-2020-census-challenges-and-opportunities/theme-overview-amplifying-the-rural-voice-2020-census-challenges-and-opportunities
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2019). Southern Rural Development Center 2019 Annual Report. MS State: Southern Rural Development Center. http://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/annual/2019_srdc_annual-1.pdf
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2019, October 21). Around the South Newsletter, 15(8). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/15_8_oct19.html
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2019, December 6). Around the South Newsletter, 15(9). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/15_9_dec19.html
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2020, January 17). Around the South Newsletter, 16(1). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/16_1_jan20.html
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2020, February 18). Around the South Newsletter, 16(2). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/16_2_feb20.html
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2020, March 17). Around the South Newsletter, 16(3). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/16_3_mar20.html
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2020, April 22). Around the South Newsletter, 16(4). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/16_4_apr20.html
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2020, May 29). Around the South Newsletter, 16(5). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/16_5_may20.html
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2020, July 24). Around the South Newsletter, 16(6). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/16_6_july20.html
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2019). Southern Region Community Development Extension Impacts. MS State: Southern Rural Development Center. http://srdc.msstate.edu/measuring_impact/south-initiatives.html
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Langford, G. (2020, August 27). CREATE BRIDGES One-pager. MS State: Southern Rural Development Center.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Spiering, K., editor (2020, August 28). Around the South Newsletter, 16(7). http://srdc.msstate.edu/newsletters/ats/16_7_aug20.html
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Spiering, K. (2019). Community Prosperity. http://srdc.msstate.edu/community-prosperity/