Planning and Policy
UI Extension community development educators help communities plan for their futures through capacity building, community surveys, leadership development, community visioning, the facilitation of planning charettes and the creation of planning documents. Extension convenes people to aggregate ideas, develop local surveys and provide meaningful information to stakeholders enabling informed policy decision making at the local level.
Extension educators across the state are currently working with local stakeholders to educate, inform, and create planning documents to strengthen community projects such as community gardens, food coalitions, multi-modal pathways, trail connectivity networks, placemaking plans, community identity and asset-based development.
Extension partners with community organizations and strengthens the technical assistance grant process for local communities. Community Development Extension educators are assets to any multi-disciplinary team. Partner organizations are critical to the shared successes accomplished through community development efforts. Partners we have worked with to create planning documents and influence data driven policy decisions include:
- Community Action Partnerships
- Community Builders
- Food Banks
- Idaho Department of Labor
- Idaho Power
- Idaho Rural Partnership
- Idaho State Parks
- Local chambers, libraries, schools, businesses, food banks, municipalities and counties
- National Park Service
- Non-profits
- Local and Regional Economic Development Councils
- St. Luke’s Hospital
- Western Rural Development Center
