Community Development

Community Development

The Extension Institute of Community Development provides educational programming to assist leaders, communities, and organizations realize their fullest potential. Community Development Educators work with communities to build vitality that enhances their quality of life and enriches the lives of their residents. We educate in leadership development, organizational development, food systems, community economic development, local government education, and much more.

Vernon County Community Development Educator (Educator) maintains a broader focus on a variety of challenges surrounding community economic development. The Educator helps residents and local government entities understand economic growth and development to help them make more informed decisions. The main goal of the Educator is to provide research, resources, and education that help build and support entrepreneurial capacity.

Programs

Cohort-Based Assistance

Maximizing Success

Wisconsin REV

Homegrown

Homegrown is a training focused on building and strengthening local entrepreneurial networks

Community Development Publications Relevant to You

“Vernon County Leaders Participate in UW Extension ‘Homegrown’ Training”
by  Maggie Cornelius

“In its service to rural communities, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension offers a training called “Homegrown: Entrepreneurship in Your Community” for economic development leaders who want to learn how to build entrepreneurial ecosystems.”

“Rural Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Initiative Organizes First Rural Entrepreneurial Cohort”
by Maggie Cornelius

“A new program within the Community Development Institute, the Rural Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Initiative (RWEI) seeks to make business development services available to rural parts of the state not easily reached by pre-existing infrastructure. RWEI has committed to organizing 12-24 entrepreneurial cohorts in rural Wisconsin between 2024-2026.”

The Learning Store produces and distributes educational materials based on university research, extending knowledge to the statewide community.

Featured Publication

No-Box Thinking offers a framework for understanding the automatic and powerful resistance to change those engaged in community development often face. This book details how to convert the powerful sources of community change resistance—identity, emotion, and social connections—into powerful forces for transformational change (105 pages; 2018).

View Related Topics on the Learning Store

  • This article is a guest post from the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions: Since 2006, the Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy and Capability, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), has organized the Money Smart Wisconsin campaign. This year, Governor Tony Evers proclaimed​ April 5 – 12, 2025, as Money Smart Wisconsin Week​. UW-Madison Division of Extension Educators from […]
  • Six teams of farmers and farm advisors in the Midwest are demonstrating their leadership in conservation agriculture with the completion of their Good Idea Mini-grant projects, a program run by a multi-state collaboration of Land Grant University Extension staff. Each grantee team installed an edge-of-field conservation practice on the farmer’s land to reduce nutrient and […]
  • UW-Madison Extension’s Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference, a hands-on, immersive conference aimed at strengthening rural Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, will be held June 16-18 in Wisconsin Rapids. Unlike other entrepreneurial conferences, CEC focuses on what works in small towns and addresses the distinct challenges and opportunities that these communities face in bolstering entrepreneurship. Designed for economic […]
  • Four rural Wisconsin communities are joining the second cohort of Wisconsin Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV), an entrepreneurial development program designed to advance small town economies through a targeted business approach.  Baldwin-Woodville, Hurley, Medary, and White Lake-Wolf River were selected as part of a program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Extension of Division. REV is a […]
  • Each year, the University of Wisconsin-Madison recognizes the outstanding contributions of its student employees through the Student Employee of the Year award. With nearly 10,000 students working in thousands of roles across campus, this honor highlights the invaluable work completed by students each day, impacting the entire campus community. This year, we are proud to […]
  • After his graduation from UW-Milwaukee, Jack wanted to find a way to give back to his hometown of Milwaukee. He found the perfect opportunity as an AmeriCorps member serving UW–Madison Extension’s 4-H program. Since starting his service in 2024, Jack has developed creative lesson plans and led groups for youth focused on STEM programming, including […]

  • UW-Madison Extension’s Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference, a hands-on, immersive conference aimed at strengthening rural Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, will be held June 16-18 in Wisconsin Rapids. Unlike other entrepreneurial conferences, CEC focuses on what works in small towns and addresses the distinct challenges and opportunities that these communities face in bolstering entrepreneurship. Designed for economic […]
  • Four rural Wisconsin communities are joining the second cohort of Wisconsin Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV), an entrepreneurial development program designed to advance small town economies through a targeted business approach.  Baldwin-Woodville, Hurley, Medary, and White Lake-Wolf River were selected as part of a program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Extension of Division. REV is a […]
  • Paul Roback, professor and Extension educator in Ozaukee County, was named the 2025 recipient of the Van Hise Outreach Teaching Award. Paul, seen above receiving an Extension award for excellence in education and outreach at the 2022 Extension All Colleague Conference, was given the honor for his work to exemplify the guiding philosophy of UW–Madison’s […]
  • Despite growth and success, business owners of color face key challenges, including access to financing, business locations, and anti-Asian racism stemming from the pandemic. A series of new reports out of UW-Madison’s Community Economic Development program highlight the growth and challenges faced by business owners of color in Wisconsin. The four special reports provide a […]
  • Wisconsin’s agricultural production and food processing sectors represent 14.3% of the state’s total economic impact, contributing $116.3 billion in industrial revenues – an increase of 10.9% from 2017. Agricultural businesses in Wisconsin constitute 353,900 jobs (9.5% of jobs in the state) and $21.2 billion to labor income. Additionally, the dairy sector and its significant dedication […]

Staff

Community Development Educator, Hannah McKeever

Hannah Altimus

Extension Vernon County
UW-Madison Division of Extension
318 Fairlane Drive
Viroqua, WI 54665
Phone: 608-637-5281
Email: hannah.mckeever@wisc.edu

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