Progress 07/01/04 to 06/30/06
Outputs
The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) has developed an interactive, interdisciplinary, interinstitutional masters degree in Community Development that is now about to enter its second year of offering courses. Six different universities are involved. With the National Rural Funders Collaborative, we developed an applied theory of equitable social changes and designed a community-based system of indicators to test hypotheses generated by that theory of change. With the Community Development Program leaders in the region, we conducted an inventory of existing capacity in the North Central Region. A core competency curriculum was developed and offered three times. A second stage to core competency training was developed. Innovative ways of inter-state training for rural development practitioners was completed and developed. Six policy briefs were completed and developed related to rural development in the region. Multi-state research and outreach
was completed on the reintegration of animals into cropping landscape, the implications for the agroecosystem health and rural community vitality, and policy options to encourage positive outcomes for farm households, ecosystems and rural communities. The coordination of the social science component of a multi-disciplinary multi-state study of the process and impact of reintroducing perennial plant communities on working agricultural landscapes in collaboration with USDA Forest Service was completed. In collaboration with ADEC and the National Science Foundation, the Center coordinated the learning and community impact studies of research on wireless broadband access to excluded people and communities. The Center completed a study of Native American agriculture on the Hopi reservation and designed and implemented a study of single mothers' access and use of traditional foods on the reservation. The Center helped develop the e-Xtension Community of Practice on Entrepereneurship.
Listening sessions were conducted throughout the region to facilitate coordinated support for rural entrepreneurship. Community and tribal college partnered, through the Ford Foundation-funded Rural Community College Initiative to increase educational access and equitable regional economic development through college/community civic engagement. Developed and implemented a coaching curriculum for Land Grant faculty to assist in the building of tribal and community college/community teams. A monitoring system was designed and implemented to determine the community impacts planned interventions.
Impacts
Regional community development extension efforts are more cumulative in their efforts to build vital economies, healthy ecosystems and social inclusion. CED Extension professionals have a broader base of knowledge on which to base their educational efforts. There is more collaboration between private foundations, community development practitioners and cooperative extension than there was at the beginning of this grant period. The community capitals framework is widely used in the region, as is the community monitoring tool, as community development practitioners plan and monitor their programs.
Publications
- Flora, C.B. 2006. Information Technology Critical as Rural and Remote Areas Transition to the New Economy. Rural Development News. 28:2:1-2. http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/rdev/newsletter/Vol28No2-2006/newec onomy.htm
- Bregendahl, C. and Flora, C.B. 2005. New Immigrants and Internet Use: Crossing Borders for Social and Cultural Benefit. Community Technology Review. Spring-Summer. http://www.comtechreview.org/spring-summer-2005/000309.html
- Emery, M., Macke, D., & Wall, M. May 2005. From Theory to Practice: Energizing Entrepreneurship Strategies to Aid Distressed Communities. Journal of the Community Development Society.
- Emery, M., Fey, S., & Flora, C.B. 2006. Using Community Capitals to Build Assets for Positive Community Change. CD Practice 13. http://www.comm-dev.org/
- Emery, M. & Flora, C.B. 2006. Spiraling-Up: Mapping Community Transformation with Community Capitals Framework. Community Development: Journal of the Community Development Society 37:19-35. http://www.ncrcrd.iastate.edu/pubs/flora/spiralingup.htm
- Flora, C.B. 2005. Community Capitals: Poverty Reduction and Rural Development in Dry Areas. Annals of Arid Zone 45(3-4):(in press).
- Flora, C.B. 2005. Economic Restructuring and Outsourcing in the North Central Region. Rural Development News. 28:1:1-3. http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/rdev/newsletter/Vol28No1-2005/outso urce.htm
- Flora, C.B. 2006. Immigrants as Assets. Rural Development News. 28:3:1-3. http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/rdev/newsletter/Vol28No3-2006/immig rants.htm
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
The interdisciplinary, interinstitutional distance master's degree in Community Development has been launched and is now in its second semester. We have identified a number of challenges and successes. We completed our pilot study of collaborative Community Support Agriculture producers and consumers in Iowa, and have developed a proposal for a regional study. The analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data of the educational and institutional factors that influence the success of high-speed internet connectivity in rural and remote places is out for review. The community capitals framework as a diagnostic for community actions has been prototyped in North Dakota and is being expanded across the state. The capitals process is being applied in Kansas, Iowa, and other states to build an integrated research and extension effort. We have completed the first round of distance training for extension professional on Core Competencies necessary for working in all
programs in communities. We are finalizing our best practices for educational access and equitable economic development with Native peoples. We have developed an approach to results-based conservation policy and shared it with the conservation and agriculture communities. With collaborators in each of the twelve states, listening sessions with organizations who provide entrepreneurial education, resources, and technical assistance to rural areas have been held or planned.
Impacts
The skills and methodologies will increase the ability of intermediaries who provide education and technical assistance, particularly but not limited to extension, to facilitate local communities to improve their quality of life through a healthy ecosystem, a vital economy, and community participation.
Publications
- Flora, C.B., Gasteyer, S., and Sempronii, G. 2004. Participacion local en investigacion y estension para la conversacion y desarrollo de los recursos naturals: Un sumario de enfoques. Pp. 135-171 in Crianceros y Chacareros en la Patagonia. M. Bendini and C. Alemany (eds.) Buenos Aires, Argentina: Editorial La Colmena.
- Bregendahl, C. and Flora, C.B. 2005. New Immigrants and Internet Use: Crossing Borders for Social and Cultural Benefit. Community Technology Review. Spring-Summer. http://www.comtechreview.org/spring-summer-2005/000309.html
- Emery, M., Macke, D., and Wall, M. May 2005. From Theory to Practice: Energizing Entrepreneurship Strategies to Aid Distressed Communities, Journal of the Community Development Society.
- Flora, C.B. 2004. Child Poverty in the North Central Region. Rural Development News. 27: 1: 1-2. http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/rdev/newsletter/Vol27No1-2004/index .htm
- Flora, C.B. 2004. Using Social Science to Affect Community Change. Rural Development News. 26:4:1 -2. http://www.ncrcrd.iastate.edu/newsletter/Vol26No4-2003/index.htm
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
We have introduced the community capitals model in a variety of settings. Communities are using the results in their efforts to increase community vitality. The model has been adopted by NACDEP (National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals) at they design their core competencies and their implementation strategies. A four nation comparative study of small rural communities found that more sustainable development occurred in communities that invested in multiple capitals, rather than just one (usually financial or built capital).
Impacts
The Benedum Foundation and the Agricultural Workers Health Initiative are taking a more holistic, place-based approach in their investments. We expect that poor rural communities will increase their well being as a result. We expect Cooperative Extension to be more effective in their community work as they implement the model.
Publications
- Flora, C.B. 2004. Community Dynamics and Social Capital. Pp. 93-107 in Agroecosystems Analysis. D. Rickert and C. Francis (eds.) Madison, Wisconsin: American Society of Agronomy, Inc., Crop Science Society of America, Inc., Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
- Reid, Norman and C.B. Flora, 2004. Advancing Knowledge and Capacity for Community-led Development in Rural America. Pp. 207-223 in Participatory Governance: Planning, Conflict Mediation and Public Decision-Making in Civil Society. W. R. Lovan, M. Murray, and R. Shaffer (eds.) Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate.
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