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
Cohort-based technical assistance for rural entrepreneurs in underserved places, industries, and size categories.
Maximizing Success
Maximizing Success is a professional development training for organizations that support Entrepreneurs of Color.
Wisconsin REV
Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV) is a proven entrepreneurial development program designed to advance small town economies.
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.”
Community Development Publications
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
Latest News in Community Development
- UW–Madison Extension will receive the 2024 Partners in Giving Award for having seen the greatest percentage increase in participation and contributions to the 2024 campaign. Extension will be recognized at a ceremony on March 11 at Union South. Extension had 33 donors and raised a total of just over $14,500. Extension piloted several initiatives in […]
- When Bayfield County received a proposal for a concentrated animal feeding operation, groundwater safety was top of mind. “Bayfield County has a long history of protecting our water resources, whether they are inland lakes, waterways, or Lake Superior shoreland areas,” said Mark Abeles-Allison, Bayfield County administrator. County supervisors realized that they needed a better understanding […]
- During the 2025 growing season, members of the agriculture community in Wisconsin will once again have access to a weekly climate outlook. The Wisconsin Ag Climate Outlook (WACO) includes things like historical and current weather patterns, soil moisture, precipitation, and crop progress. Combining data from national and local sources, including the National Weather Service, regional […]
- 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 […]
- Sherri Congleton, Vilas County Emergency Management Director, has seen the impact of changes in weather extremes over time. “Even as a kid, I remember we had winter. It was cold, you had snow, you did those things.” But that’s not always the case these days. “Last winter we didn’t have enough snow to even open […]
- 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 […]
Latest Updates in Community Development
- 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 […]
- Coalitions in five counties are partnering up with UW–Madison Extension on a new effort to engage rural entrepreneurs and strengthen community connection. As part of a grant-funded program from Compeer Financial, Extension is providing coaching and guidance for local groups to spur sustained entrepreneurship. The groups selected for this program recently moved into a phase […]
- After a 25-year career working for the Milwaukee Police Department, Jim MacGillis was planning to retire and try something new. Then the position of police chief opened in Wauwatosa, his hometown. “I’ve got family here, and I had seen the good human beings in this department have a front-row seat during the worst of times…and […]
- Jorge Islas-Martinez immigrated to the United States more than 25 years ago. Today, he is well-known in the Whitewater community where he works as a bilingual liaison for the school district and volunteers with several organizations. One of his most recognized contributions, he started teaching English as a second language and is still running that […]
Related Links of Interest
Staff
If you have any questions regarding Community Development in Vernon County, please contact:
Community Development Educator, Hannah McKeever
Extension Vernon County
UW-Madison Division of Extension
318 Fairlane Drive
Viroqua, WI 54665
Phone: 608-637-5281
Email: hannah.mckeever@wisc.edu
