Buy Iowa Online E-Commerce Training
Extension Community and Economic Development
BuyIowaOnline.com is an e-commerce ready website where Iowa entrepreneurs can post their products for sale. It is fully automated so that it is functional for full-time, part-time and occasional entrepreneurs.
This hands-on training workshop is designed to familiarize participants with the site’s functionality and set-up all the user accounts necessary so that they can leave ready to concentrate on selecting and packaging the product for the central fulfillment center for a faster start-up.
Participants work on laptops to:
• set up a seller account,
• practice using a seller account – uploading photographs, copy, etc.,
• set up a payment account,
• and be provided with FAQ sheets and links to resources supplied on a take home USB drive.
In addition participants will explore and engage in conversation about:
• how to leverage the site’s presence through co-marketing venues,
• product selection and price-pointing,
• how to engage with the site’s social networking component to strengthen their sales,
• and, how to use the available business description area in the account to begin engaging and building customer loyalty.
CD-DIAL (Community Development–Data Information and Analysis Laboratory)
Extension Community and Economic Development, Institute for Design Research and Outreach, College of Design
CD-DIAL works with communities, organizations, and state and local agencies to assist and build decision-making capacity in these groups, especially as they collect and use information about their local population members or the constituents they serve.
We conduct surveys through mail, online and telephone surveys. We work with stakeholders from conceptualizing the survey (i.e. questionnaire development, sampling, etc.) up to report writing/presentation of the result. We work closely with the client. The team gathers and analyzes the data, writes the report, and presents the results as requested by the client.
CD-DIAL can produce mailing lists if needed. We can perform quantitative and qualitative analysis of data as well as spatial representation of data in the form of GIS maps.
Communities to Community (C2C)
Extension Community and Economic Development
The 2-year C2C program will offer bundled design, educational, business, and leadership development services related to community development. The services will be customized to promote the positive changes and outcomes that client communities desire.
Potential outcomes include stabilizing downtown environments; improving citizen participation; encouraging diversity; capitalizing on small business and tourism opportunities; meeting housing needs; or achieving quality of life goals.
Selected communities will work in a partnership with ISU faculty, staff, and students.
Community Development Online Master''s Program
Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance
This is an interdisciplinary, inter-institutional master''s program that is entirely online. The program is offered by the Great Plains IDEA (Interactive Distance Education Alliance).
The Master of Community Development degree program is for community leaders, practitioners, and for those committed to people and places. It provides the skills, information, and networks needed to facilitate sustainable and prosperous community change. This degree program equips practitioners with the tools necessary to build community for the 21st century.
Check this website for more information:
http://www.gpidea.org/index.html
Community Economic Analysis and Education Services
Extension Community and Economic Development, College of Agriculture, Department of Economics
Array of community economic analyses for groups, communities, and regions with an interest in understanding their economic structure or in understanding the consequences of economic change.
Community Tourism Development and Education Services
Extension Community and Economic Development
Array of customized workshops, seminars and facilitation sessions for groups, communities and regions with an interest in developing, improving or expanding tourism efforts and outcomes. This program will facilitate communities and their regions in visioning, strategizing and marketing themselves as a visitor destination.
County Bioeconomy Assessment
Department of Community and Regional Planning
Expansion of the bioeconomy has the potential to benefit
rural communities.
However, there are also negative impacts of the bioeconomy. To maximize the
positive impacts and minimize the negative impacts of the bioeconomy, it is
important to assess the current conditions important for bioeconomic growth,
and consider the opinions and preferences of rural residents who would be
affected by it. This program will identify the potential impacts of the
bioeconomy and make recommendations for growth based on a feedstock assessment,
transportation infrastructure analysis, and community survey.
Designing for an Elder Friendly Community
Extension Community and Economic Development, College of Design
This program will facilitate communities in visioning, strategizing and marketing themselves as an attractive place to retire. It will involve planning at the level of the region and community, neighborhood and downtown as well as at the concept design scale of public realm improvements.
Enhancing Community Vitality
Community Vitality Center
The CVC Governance Board has adopted three primary initiatives:
*Enhancing Community Entrepreneurship in Iowa
*Improving Community Foundations and Philanthropy in Iowa
*Identifying and Analyzing Actionable Elements of the Rural Policy Differential
Fundraising: Making Cents of It
Extension Community and Economic Development
Instruction on practical
applications of strategies that identify, prospect, acquire and retain
donors for capital, annual, endowment and planned giving campaigns.
Participants can learn about practices that strengthen fundraising
campaigns by using the mission to attract donors and motivating
techniques that retain and increase giving through time. They can learn
the difference between campaigns, roles activities play during them, how
to manage volunteers and staff during them, what they need to have
prepared prior to a launch and practice toward an artful ask from the
donors. Participants leave with templates/how to’s for campaign
promotional material development and management such as: newsletters,
special promotions, database design, direct mail solicitations and more.
GIS: Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI)
Extension Community and Economic Development, Department of Landscape Architecture
New interactive technologies on the Web such as Google Maps, Google Earth or other Web 2.0 applications capable of geotagging information enables citizens to create their own personal maps of a community or specific place. Termed Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) this information can be used to by decision makers as they plan the future of a community.
Housing Trust Fund Development
Extension Community and Economic Development
This program will facilitate the development of a State certified Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF). It will result in the creation of a collaboration to address the local affordable housing needs of a particular geographical area. Interested parties will be assisted in receiving state certification and applying for funds from the Iowa State Housing Trust Fund, administered by the Iowa Finance Authority. The LHTF is a financial tool used to procure and distribute funds for the creation and/or preservation of affordable housing in a designated area.
Iowa Community Indicators Program
Extension Community and Economic Development, College of Agriculture, Agriculture Experiment Station, Department of Economics, Department of Sociology
Economic and demographic data and analysis for community development efforts, local needs assessments, and community benchmarking.
Web-based information products include local retail trade analysis reports, demographic and economic indicators, industry studies, and other tools for community analysis. Standardized data products and reports are available at no charge. For more in-depth information needs, we offer fee-based research and technical consulting services to communities and groups. See separate listings for Community Economic Analysis and Education Services and Targeted Industrial Development and Research.
keywords: census, data, demographics, employment, population, statistics, trends
Iowa Retail Initiative: Discussion Points
Extension Community and Economic Development, Agriculture Experiment Station, Department of Economics
Within this program, Community Retailers are provided an interactive platform to facilitate ISU faculty and staff responses to Iowa Retail Businesses' current questions and needs.
An online group is created among community retailers—the group is encouraged to create subjects that prompt a short presentation (discussion point) that may be further discussed within the group with input from ISU faculty and staff. Depending on the depth of the subject, a conference call may be organized to deal with the subject discussed.
Google+ groups will be utilized for delivery of short presentations and for facilitation of discussions.
Iowa Retail Initiative: Retail Trade Update
Extension Community and Economic Development, Agriculture Experiment Station, Department of Economics
Each year the Iowa Retail Trade Analysis reports are updated for Iowa cities and counties. The Retail Trade Update program will summarize trends in retail trade and current retail topics being discussed by Iowa retailers.
Research on Statewide Economic Issues
Extension Community and Economic Development, College of Agriculture, Department of Economics
This research focuses on industrial change, regional economies, and other important dynamics of the state''s and nation''s economic structure.
Road Scholar-- Educational Travel
Extension Community and Economic Development
Travel with experts and study a theme or
geographic region for four to seven days. No prior subject knowledge is
required, only a desire for lifelong learning. Some courses stay in one city,
with daily field trips and excursions. Other courses travel by chartered coach
or boat from city to city, stopping at places of interest and overnight in
hotels along the route.
Statistics in the Community (STATCOM)
Iowa State University Department of Statistics
Statistics in the Community (STATCOM) is a community outreach program that serves local communities throughout the nation. At Iowa State, STATCOM offers statistical advice and expertise to governmental and nonprofit groups. Students in the Department of Statistics coordinate the statistical consulting services provided through STATCOM.
Targeted Industrial Development and Research
College of Agriculture, Department of Economics
This is a regional industrial and economic research service designed to help multi-county groups understand the structure of their shared regional economy and which elements of their regional economy are strong, stable, declining, or emerging.