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University of Nebraska–Lincoln

UNL Extension in Southern Plains

Know how. Know now.

 

Community and Economic Development photo - business scene

Community and Economic Development


      • Business Development

      • Community Building

      • Leadership Development

The following community stories have links that you can download PDF files.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can get it at no cost at the following link.  Free Adobe Reader.

Creating a New Bruning Public Library and Learning Center

The Bruning Community Foundation, Bruning Women's Club Library Board and the Village of Bruning are working together to create a new Bruning Public Library and Learning Center.  To learn more about this effort, you can click on the following links.  Monetary gifts of approximately $100,000 have been donated toward the project. 

The original plans were to constuct a new building.  To determine how the community wanted to proceed, 11 Focus Group Interviews were held in the spring and summer of 2008.  Following the Interviews, UN-L Extension staff created a final report.  This document can be found at 2008 Focus Group Interviews  (PDF 155KB) The findings of the Focus Group Interviews were rreported at a Public Meeting during the summer of 2008.  That slideshow report can be found at Public Report. (PDF 2652KB). In 2008, the Village of Bruning appointed an Official Library Committee. 

Since that time the Library Committee has been working along side the Bruning Community Foundation to move forward with this effort.  Instead of constructing a new building on mainstreet, the decision was made to restore a vacant building and rennovate it into the new Library.  After meeting with the architect, UN-L Sturctural Engineer and other professionals, the plans are moving forward.  Another public meeting was held in March 2009. That visual report can be found at March 2009 Library Report. (PDF 2602KB)

Carleton First Impressions Report

The villages of Carleton, NE and Plymouth, NE exchanged visits to each other's town to find out their First Impression of the community visited. In January, 2009, Barb Schmidt, UN-L Extension Educator based in Jefferson County, traveled to Carleton to present the final report to the Carleton Community Club and other interested citizens.  The final report can be found at Carleton First Impression Report. (4188KB)

Deshler First Impressions Report

The villages of Deshler, NE and Firth, NE exchanged visits to determine their First Impression of the villages.  The final report given by the Firth residents to the Deshler Chamber of Commerce can be found at Deshler First Impression Report.

 

 

UNL Extension Resources

UNL Extension works with the people of Nebraska to develop personal and organizational leadership skills; to facilitate community planning and problem solving; to incorporate new technologies and concepts; and to develop sound businesses and societies for sustainable, economically viable communities.

Business Development

If you are looking to gain "know how" for improving customer service and hospitality, developing green tourism, organizing an ag marketing cooperative, or looking for programs that help entrepreneurs learn business management skills, check out these resources.

UNL Extension also helps communities embrace and cultivate youth entrepreneurs as a source of future economic development.
Through the 4-H EntrepreneurShip Investigation (ESI) program youth are inspired to stay in rural communities to live and work when becoming adults.

Community Building

If you are looking for educational resources to help communities identify their assets, realize their first impressions, engage in community visioning or understand processes for planning and facilitating new community projects, festivals or events, check out these resources.

Leadership Development

Community leaders and volunteers looking for resources to improve their leadership skills to help sustain and grow successful communities can select from a variety of Extension programs. Topics include organizational development, group dynamics, conflict management, communication, personality types, managing effective meetings, along with several others.

Check out LeadershipPlenty to learn how to inspire people to become actively engaged in their communities.

The NonProfit Management Academy is offered by UNL Extension in Douglas County in partnership with Iowa State University. Classes are held in Omaha and Iowa locations.

Extension also works with communities and Indian tribes to create youth and adult partnerships that enable youth to serve in a variety of leadership roles.

Please contact your local Extension office for topics offered in your area.

Information Technology

One of Extension's newest information technology programs teaches parents how to be Net savvy so that they can monitor their children's online activities. Please contact your local Extension office for topics offered in your area.

With the UNL Extension BIT Mobile, a self-contained mobile technology classroom, UNL Extension Educators can offer technology classes in any Nebraska community.