Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
10/16/02
Contacts:
Jeanne Warning, ISU Extension to Families, (515) 294-6622, jwarning@iastate.edu
Mark Edelman, ISU Community Vitality Center, (515) 294-6144, medelman@iastate.edu
Community Forums to Look at Entrepreneurship in Iowa
A series of 10 community forums on what Iowans can do to support entrepreneurs and business startups will be held between now and the end of November.
Described as 'community conversations,' the forums are being organized by the Community Vitality Center at Iowa State University, in collaboration with ISU Extension, the Iowa Peace Institute, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Agency, and local sponsors in the host communities.
During the community conversation, a cross-section of participants and stakeholders from the community will examine various approaches to entrepreneurship. They will learn what resources are available, and participate in discussion about how they might be used. Input will be used to help shape the future direction of each community's response on this topic.
Ideas and opinions collected in this conversation will be shared with local leaders and groups, and also combined with input from similar forums in other Iowa communities. A statewide report will be developed that will be shared with policy makers, interest group leaders, and the public.
The Community Conversation forum uses the National Issues Forum public deliberation format. For more information see the www.nifi.org web site. The project builds on the experiences of a similar project conducted in 2001 by Positively Iowa, the Iowa League of Cities, the Iowa Association of School Boards, the Iowa State Association of Counties, and other groups.
Persons interested in attending the forum should contact the nearest ISU Extension county office for information on the time and location of the nearest forum and to reserve a seat at the forum.
Forum dates and communities are:
Oct. 28: Adams County (Corning)
Nov. 5: Cass County (Atlantic)
Nov. 6: Webster County (Fort Dodge)
Nov. 7: Palo Alto (Emmetsburg)
Nov. 18: O'Brien County (Sheldon)
Nov. 19: Benton County (Vinton)
Nov. 21: Des Moines County (Burlington)
Nov. 25: Johnson County (Iowa City)
Nov. 26: Bremer County (Tripoli)
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Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.