Extension Community and Economic Development
Programs Offered
Analyzing the Economic Impacts of Natural Resource and Recreation Investments
Extension Community and Economic Development
Visitor and spending information from similar recreation settings in Iowa are used to estimate expected economic impacts associated with investing in local and regional natural resource facilities.
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.
Citizen-Led Watershed Planning and Development
Extension Community and Economic Development, Department of Sociology
This program helps watershed residents--people bound together by the flow of their ditches, streams, rivers, and lakes--to develop local policies and programs that lead to enhanced agricultural productivity, improvements in water quality, increased recreational opportunities, and other benefits.
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.
Community Voices
Extension Community and Economic Development
Series of educational meetings aimed to enhance civic understanding and leadership skills of newly arrived immigrants to Iowa. New residents plan the program’s content and program is delivered in participants’ native language with translation to English. Opens a dialogue between new residents and established community leaders, helps participants connect with other new residents and gain knowledge and confidence to take part in community, school and government activities.
keywords: Latino, Hispanic, immigrant
Consulting and Facilitation services
Extension Community and Economic Development
Field Specialists are available for consulting, technical assistance, tailored training, planning, and organizational development services.
Topics and issues include economic development, local government, community planning, tourism, grant writing, nonprofit management, Latino community and business development, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and housing.
Products available include:
- Strategic Planning or Organizational Goal--Setting Establish an organizational or community vision and set priorities by engaging key stakeholders in a structured process.
- Consultation and Technical Assistance-- Specialists work directly with an organization on a problem or issue to provide advice, research, information, and assistance in developing solutions.
- Board Development-- Training boards of directors to understand their roles and responsibilities in the governance of organizations.
- Training Sessions --A variety of tailored training can include professional development presentations, team-building, or one-time workshops on special topics of interest.
-
Facilitation--Group processes and tools are used to help organizations resolve conflicts, organize new community groups, develop partnerships and collaborations, enhance community participation, or strengthen existing group structures.
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.
Developing Dynamic Leaders
Extension Community and Economic Development, Department of Sociology
Features of this program include networking and a connection to local issues and opportunities, group or individual work around a real project if they choose, and a strong emphasis on personal skills development.
keywords: leadership, community, volunteer, management
Elderhostel/EXPLORITAS 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.
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.
Introduction to Planning & Zoning workshops
Extension Community and Economic Development, Office of State and Local Government Programs, College of Design, Department of Community and Regional Planning
This three-hour program is designed to introduce the basic concepts of planning and zoning to local officials. Topics include the comprehensive plan, the zoning and subdivision ordinances, and the roles of elected councils and boards, the planning commission and the board of adjustment in land use decision-making.
keywords: land use, law
Introduction to Planning and Zoning DVD
Extension Community and Economic Development, Office of State and Local Government Programs, College of Design, Department of Community and Regional Planning
This three-hour DVD is a recording of the July 19, 2005 Introduction to Planning and Zoning workshop held in Ames. It is designed to introduce the basic concepts of planning and zoning to local officials. Topics include the comprehensive plan, the zoning and subdivision ordinances, and the roles of elected councils and boards, the planning commission and the board of adjustment in land use decision-making.
Iowa Municipal Clerks Institute and Academy
Extension Community and Economic Development, Iowa Municipal Finance Officers, Office of State and Local Government Programs
The Municipal Clerks Institute provides educational credit toward professional certifications, including Certified Municipal Clerk, Certified Iowa Municipal Clerk, Certified Municipal Finance Officer and Iowa Certified Administrator.
In addition to the Institute, the Academy is a continuing education program offered to those wishing to retain their certifications.
keywords: city clerk
Iowa Precinct Election Official Certification Training
Extension Community and Economic Development, Office of State and Local Government Programs, Iowa State Association of County Auditors
Iowa Precinct Election Official Certification Training consists of three two-hour sessions of training for precinct election officials on Iowa election law, responsibilities of precinct election officials, voting machine operation, ballot security, and voter privacy. This program is conducted in conjunction with county election commissioners (county auditors).
keywords: poll worker, election training, precinct worker
Monitoring Recreational Trail Use
Extension Community and Economic Development, Department of Landscape Architecture
In order to make more informed decisions regarding developing new recreational trails or materials to promote trail use it is useful to know what trails are currently used most often, what time of day they are used and if there are any trails that are underutilized. To answer these questions, trail use monitors can be installed to count the number of users over a given period of time. This program is designed to provide assistance and equipment necessary to collect this information.
Nonprofit Management Academy
Extension Community and Economic Development, College of Design
Provides career-enhancing workshops to equip nonprofit professionals with skills to more effectively manage their organizations or specific programs. Workshop topics have included financial management, governance and leadership, diversity issues, technology management, effective supervision, etc. Continuing education units and certification available.
keywords: staff development
ReCAP (Regional Capacity Analysis 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.
ReCAP's Web-based information products include local retail trade analysis reports, demographic and economic indicators, industry studies, and other tools for community analysis. The standardized data products and reports are available at no charge. For more in-depth information needs, ReCAP offers fee-based research and technical consulting services to communities and groups. See separate listings for Community Economic Analysis and Education Services, Retail Trade Area Analysis, and Targeted Industrial Development and Research.
keywords: census, data, demographics, employment, population, statistics, trends
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.
Retail Trade Analysis Program
Extension Community and Economic Development, College of Agriculture, Department of Economics
Program: The Retail Trade Analysis portfolio is comprised of many products intended to advance a community’s understanding of its unique retail landscape. The three main products are:
1. Local presentations describing trends and characteristics of the local retail sector, with emphasis on analysis of available retail sales data to portray both historical and current retail sales performance.
2. A customized profile of a community’s trade region including its population siize, geographic extent and market demographics. Includes regional profile and comparisons with similar trade centers as well as geographical competing trade centers.
3. Retail community visioning process utilizing retail sales data, geographic information, and general retail trends. The product includes assessment of the likelihood of survival of particular business types as well as a planning component looking towards the future of a community’ retail sector in terms of sustainability.
Township Trustee and Clerk Orientation
Extension Community and Economic Development
Three-hour workshop covering legal responsibilities of township trustees and clerks with primary focus on fire and emergency management, cemetery management, and fence law.