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This report is a summary of discussions that took place at the Rural Voluntary Sector Leaders' Dialogue, entitled "Innovation and Skills Development in the Rural Voluntary Sector in Nova Scotia", held in Truro, Nova Scotia on September 20, 2002. Many of the discussions took place in brainstorming sessions at which no limits were placed on the participants. In order to present a true report of the free-ranging discussions, recommendations made by participants that fall outside federal jurisdiction are also included. The Dialogue process helps the federal government to understand local and regional priorities, and provides rural, remote and northern citizens with an opportunity to influence federal government policies, programs and services that affect them. The goal of the Rural Voluntary Sector Leaders' Dialogue was to provide a forum for the exchange of information, experience and ideas on the role of government in best supporting the revitalization of the rural voluntary sector. The expected outcome was sound advice and a framework for an action strategy in support of innovation and skills development in the rural voluntary sector in Nova Scotia. The issues raised during the discussions relating to the rural priority areas are: (A) access to federal government programs and services; (B) access to financial resources for rural business and community development; (C) opportunities, programs and services for rural youth; (D) community capacity-building, leadership and skills development; (E) infrastructure for community development; (F) knowledge-based economy/society and use of the technology; (G) strengthen economic diversification; (H) access to health care; (I) access to education; (J) partnerships for rural community development; and (K) promote rural Canada.

The United States does not have a coherent national rural policy. The federal government has focused on a sector-based policy that has only indirect impact on rural America. State governments have failed to move beyond their traditional focus areas of education, corrections, Medicaid, and other state services. The diversity of rural America makes it difficult for states or the federal government to create and manage coherent rural development policies. At the same time, much of rural America suffers from economic and social disparities relative to the rest of the nation and has become increasingly dependent on federal and state transfer payment programs. The old rural policies have become irrelevant in the face of the new rural environment, with its increasing ethnic and cultural diversity, the decreased importance of farming, and global economic pressures that increase the need for investments in human capital and technology. A new rural development policy must accept that the change process is incremental and should be based on a broad coalition of support. Local governments are well positioned to address the needs of rural America, but have been hampered in the past due to state restrictions on revenue-raising capacity and expenditure limitations. The large number of local governments and overlapping jurisdictions implies that rural city-county partnerships must be the foundation of national rural development policy. Federal and state governments must rethink their role in rural development policy. Instead of creating and managing large government programs, they can provide support through block grants, fiscal and regulatory flexibility, and technical assistance. (Contains 41 references) (Author/TD)

This report assesses conditions in the South since the original 1986 report "Shadows in the Sunbelt." Findings indicate that economic change is moving even more rapidly than in 1986. However, although several metropolitan areas have burgeoned and some rural communities have made a successful economic transition, many Southern places remain mired in long-standing problems such as low education and high poverty, and are overwhelmed by the newer forces of globalization and technological change. What's more, the recession of the early 21st century has hastened the collapse of low-wage, low-skill manufacturing upon which so many Southern communities depended, leaving many states too weak to help the people and places left behind. The "clarion call" to the South: You're in a whole different race. Run hard, but also run smarter. Recommendations include: (1) the one-dimensional, industry-chasing economic strategy must be reexamined in favor of a comprehensive economic development strategy that measures success by higher incomes and improved competitiveness, not simply numbers of new jobs; (2) states must modernize tax systems so they can provide excellent education, widely accessible job training, necessary infrastructure, and community amenities that stimulate economic advancement; (3) the South's universities and community colleges must prepare a new generation of civic leaders to address the region's challenges; and (4) to advance as a democratic society, the South should seek equity in its economic development. Appendices present population and job growth and indicators of well-being for Southern metro areas. (Contains 20 references.) (TD)

Rural areas of the world share many common problems, such as a lack of diverse educational and economic development opportunities. This paper argues that only when rural areas develop strong partnerships among organizations with diverse strengths, and these organizations bring some measure of power to these partnerships, will these rural areas be able to compete with urban areas. The author describes the Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) at New Mexico State University at Carlsbad, funded by the Ford Foundation. RCCI expired in June 2002, but the RCCI team incubated Community Vision in order to continue the work of RCCI. The Community Vision Board has determined that its value to the community is as a facilitator for grassroots democracy to identify quality of life issues in a process they call The Visioning Virus. The Vision project offers leadership from a supporting position, thus allowing community groups to create their own community development programs. Groups of people working on goals set during the Visioning process are the primary measure of Community Vision success. During the initial Visioning process, there were over 1,000 community goals adopted. More than 2,000 citizens voted on the goals, and the top 30 were selected for research and/or implementation by a team of volunteers. Charts delineating goal statements, number of votes per statement, and state of progress per goal are appended. (Author/NB)

Often funding agencies and donor governments face the question of whether should they support information and communication (ICT) technologies activities in their development projects. Should the money be invested in computers and communication devices or will it be better spent on food, shelter, health, and education? The choice need not be "either or." If used intelligently and innovatively, ICTs can form an integral component of development projects, as is shown by the award-winning Information Village project of the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. The important point to remember is that one does not have to use technology because it is there, but one uses it if there is a genuine advantage. In any development program, people and their contexts should decide how one goes about implementing development interventions. The needs of the people and the best means to satisfy them should determine the whole program. Often ICT-based development projects do not bring in the expected results because of undue emphasis placed on technology. Against this background, the factors that led to the success of the Pondicherry experience are analyzed. Includes 15 illustrations.) (Contains 9 references.) (Author)

Although the economic expansion of the 1990s was felt even in small towns and rural areas, events in recent months point out that the economic health of rural America remains fragile. Rural manufacturing has suffered sizable employment declines in recent months and only modest expansion has occurred in the service sector--the lifeblood of rural job growth over the past decade. Wages in both sectors for the remaining jobs are less than in urban areas. Four strategies for strengthening the viability of rural America are offered. Community human capital resources can be enhanced by helping parents foster a home environment in which educational aspirations are developed, creating positive teacher-student and teacher-parent relationships in schools, and building youth-supportive communities that give youth a voice in community decisions and opportunities to experience positive role models outside of school. Entrepreneurial activities in communities can be spurred by providing access to quality workers, embracing and nurturing entrepreneurs, enacting public policies that support entrepreneurial development, and making entrepreneurship an explicit economic development strategy. The digital capacity of rural communities must be built through focused investments in rural telecommunications infrastructure. Civic engagement in rural communities can be expanded by involving all segments of the community in guiding its future, providing opportunities for new and expanded leadership development, sharing leadership responsibilities, and supporting the establishment of local-oriented small and entrepreneurial businesses. (Contains 22 references.) (TD)

Creating opportunities for high-growth entrepreneurs is becoming increasingly important in rural America. Rural policymakers, who once focused on recruiting manufacturers that export low-value products, have realized that entrepreneurs can generate new economic value for their communities. Entrepreneurs add jobs, raise incomes, create wealth, improve the quality of community life, and help rural communities operate in the global economy. Each year, high-growth entrepreneurs create the bulk of new jobs in the United States. Still, rural America is creating relatively few high-growth entrepreneurs. To overcome the challenges of being small and remote, rural communities must help entrepreneurs tap venture capital markets to finance growth. They must help entrepreneurs gain access to the information and technology needed to spur growth. And they must help entrepreneurs acquire the technical and managerial skills to cultivate that growth. Rural policymakers are responding to these challenges by making entrepreneurship the cornerstone of many economic development strategies. Their strategies aim to build the skills of individual entrepreneurs, strengthen community resources for entrepreneurs, and create support networks. Universities and community colleges are offering entrepreneurship courses, and extension services provide programs to improve entrepreneurs' technical and Internet skills. Rural support networks are emerging in various forms, including networks of business incubators, angel investors, and technical assistance organizations. (TD)

This report documents the status of information, computing, and telecommunications (ICT) technologies in the Appalachian region, assessing their potential relationship to economic growth and the federal, state, and local policies that influence their development. Key findings include the following. Leading producers of ICT products and services have a relatively weak presence in Appalachia. Substantial infrastructure deficiencies exist in rural Appalachia. Rural Appalachia is highly dependent on incumbent telephone companies for high-speed services and basic telecommunications infrastructure. Competition can produce improved services at better prices. Federal E-rate and various state programs have enabled widespread high-speed connectivity among schools and libraries in Appalachia. However, Appalachian counties have received significantly lower per-capita funding of E-rate and rural health programs than the nation as a whole. Lack of information combined with access barriers limit the effective adoption of ICT and network services across Appalachia. Dissemination of information regarding ICT hardware, software and connectivity integration is under-supplied by the market, especially in rural areas. ICT access and capacity barriers disadvantage economic development in rural Appalachian counties. Limited ICT access and use was found to be a particular problem for the health care sector in rural communities. Appalachian states have adopted a range of policies to enhance access to telecommunications infrastructure in rural areas. Case studies in Mississippi and Virginia underscored the significance of the broader economic and demographic context for the relationship between telecommunications and economic development. Policy options are offered. Seven appendices present study information. (Contains 87 references.) (TD)

Some regional two-year and four-year colleges are moving beyond their traditional mission of education to take proactive roles in promoting the economic development of their regions and communities. A study of regional colleges that help rural businesses and labor forces adapt to the challenges of rural economies found five outstanding goals of their programs. The colleges aimed to produce skilled and professional workers who fit the needs of the regional economy and to act as a source of innovation and technology diffusion, a broker of services, a repository of information, and a wellspring for new businesses. Regional colleges pursuing these goals used a number of effective strategies: designing relevant goals and services that respond to changing labor market conditions, identifying and investing in niches, maintaining an entrepreneurial environment, connecting work-based and theoretical competencies, hiring faculty with expertise and experience in industry, thinking and acting collaboratively, offering flexible scheduling to accommodate lifelong learning, building global connections, recognizing that skill needs are related to other business changes, and addressing the needs of under-represented populations. Five programs are described that have been successful in meeting the five outstanding goals. These programs are at Lakeshore Technical College (Wisconsin), Catawba Valley Community College (North Carolina), Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee, Northern New Mexico Community College, and Hazard Community College (Kentucky). (SV)

Despite significant developments on the economic front, the Pakistani government's human development efforts have failed to serve the needs of the poor. Whereas the rural poor do not trust government schemes, they do trust nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), most of which are apolitical community-based grassroots organizations accountable to local people. The current government has revived the local council structure. The local councilors appreciate NGO contributions to the development of their areas and are willing to support them. There are several ways that public-private partnerships with NGOs can benefit Pakistan. The outreach capacity of the NGOs can help the government in its efforts to establish community centers for training teachers, managers, and communities. NGOs operate many low-cost private schools in poor and rural areas of Pakistan and have been quite successful in establishing schools for girls. NGOs have also helped with the expansion of government schools and the provision of inservice training to rural teachers. The government has made early childhood education a priority, but has little capacity for material development. NGOs have produced child-centered education materials for private schools and have the capacity to assist the government in this area. Because of their proximity to rural communities, NGOs are also well suited to provide health services to the poor. NGOs have grassroots perspectives, non-bureaucratic approaches, administrative efficiency, innovativeness, and flexibility, but their success depends on a conducive environment of policy, legislation, and funding. (TD)

According to this paper, rural community colleges face new challenges, which require openness to institutional partnerships that in the past may have been unthinkable due to traditional institutional competitiveness. These challenges include enrollment fluctuation, increased legislative scrutiny, calls for accountability, inadequate and inconsistent funding, and higher education's general loss of public esteem. The authors argue that institutional collaboration is practical for rural community colleges for four reasons: (1) the politics of educational reform has created the need for meaningful collaborative efforts between community colleges; (2) the transformation of the economy from technology-based to information-based has increased awareness of institutional interdependence; (3) struggling rural community colleges can gain insight from their sister institutions; and (4) as demands for accountability increase, collaborations can provide avenues to lower costs while sustaining availability, quality, and integrity of programming and services at rural community colleges. This paper defines an educational consortium as an alliance whose purpose is to serve their member institutions, with the mission of enabling its members to achieve, through cooperation, that which cannot be achieved alone. Rural community colleges in particular can benefit from academic consortia by giving the institutions more clout with local, state, and federal politicians; making business and industry alliances stronger; and increasing funding and grant opportunities. (Contains 11 references.) (Author/NB)

This research analyzes the impact of the Thai government's activities to promote educational opportunities for people of the northern hill tribes. In addition to interviews with government and nongovernmental organization staff, field surveys were conducted in hill tribe villages. The introductory chapter provides background information on the hill tribes, which are Thailand's most disadvantaged ethnic minorities. Chapter 2 describes government policies and support programs for hill tribes related to education, including highland community learning centers for basic skills and lifelong learning, distance education efforts, agricultural extension education, development and welfare services, and international and nongovernmental organization support programs. Chapter 3 examines implementation of these policies and programs. Chapter 4 defines the prospects for highland development, placing particular emphasis on the potential of education to improve the livelihood of highland communities. Recommendations include including hill tribe communities in planning and implementing support activities; developing curriculum to correspond to community needs; building the capacity of those engaged in field-level implementation of support activities; increasing collaboration among governmental and nongovernmental organizations and international development agencies; emphasizing integrated approaches to highland development; giving higher prominence to quality of life issues such as education and health care; and harmonizing modern knowledge and technologies with local wisdom and practices in efforts to improve agricultural production, employment, and income generation. Ten appendices present 47 references, a map, a list of interviewees, and information on government agencies' programs. (TD)

Karl N. Stauber proposes three goals for rural development policy: helping the rural middle class survive, reducing concentrated rural poverty, and sustaining and improving the quality of the natural environment. In contrast to other visions, he advises policy that focuses on rural places rather than rural economic sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and mining. Paralleling Stauber's plea for more investment in places, rural K-12 educators have been working to develop place-based pedagogy and to sustain small schools and districts as key parts of rural communities. Smaller-scale schools and districts have been shown to be particularly effective in enhancing academic achievement in impoverished communities. Rural developers and rural educators have begun to recognize mutual interests in identifying and revitalizing local stores of cultural, social, and human capital; protecting the environment; and finding competitive niches in state and global economies. Recommendations for policymakers interested in joining rural development and educational practice include: becoming more knowledgeable about the significance of place in rural development initiatives and educational reform; strengthening new development and education programs that support place-based learning, sustainable agriculture, and entrepreneurial economic development; taking a stand against rural school consolidation in isolated and high-poverty rural areas; recognizing schools as important assets in community infrastructure; and developing policy that simultaneously addresses rural community development and strengthens small schools and districts in which community identities and social capital reside. (Contains 47 references and 15 Web sites.) (TD)

Wesley College, a private urban secondary school, sought a rural location where ninth-grade students could spend a term in a community-based, experientially-derived curriculum to enhance their sense of self and community. The small town of Clunes, in Victoria (Australia), accepted Wesley's initiative and since 2000, Wesley has operated a campus there. Data on 22 students attending the Clunes campus were collected via standardized tests, focus groups, participant observations, teacher comments, questionnaires, and interviews. Relatively few students substantially integrated with adolescent community members, although a majority had some interaction with the community through community service or Clunes project activities. Further development of links between the school and community would increase student-community engagement. To assess Clunes residents' views of the impacts of the school on the community, 119 community members, businesses, and adolescents were surveyed. The school's presence was regarded positively. However, because this initiative originated with the school and not the town, there are issues of uncertainty regarding "ownership." School staff do not wish to impose on the town. Community members assist when requests are appealing, yet otherwise get on with their own affairs. This creates a gentle form of "stand-off" that is not discussed formally. Establishing a mechanism for such discussions would facilitate resolution of any tensions that may arise and provide a forum for purposeful collaborative planning. (TD)

In the last decade, a technological revolution has touched all aspects of business and society in Australia, the Western world, and to a lesser extent, the developing world. This revolution has occurred against a backdrop of long-term fundamental changes in rural Australian communities. The decline in traditional agriculture's terms of trade and resultant employment numbers has seen many communities that were previously reliant on agriculture looking for means to survive. The Internet has been seized on by many as the potential savior for rural Australia. The Internet also poses a significant threat, further opening up communities to global forces outside their control, with potentially damaging effects. This study explores both sides of the equation for rural Australia through chapters on the demand side of Internet access, the digital divide, the Australian business sector and the Internet, the supply side of Internet access in regional Australia, the Internet and the Bush, the Australian information technology and telecommunications sector, e-commerce and regional Australia, regional business and community partnerships, key factors for harnessing the benefits of the Internet, and a final chapter on what the future holds. Seven case studies showcase how many rural communities and businesses are dealing successfully with the Internet. Two appendices describe community-development information technology programs supported by the U.S. and Australian governments. (Contains 23 references.) (TD)

Many small, inland, and remote Australian rural communities continue to lose population and businesses, a trend that has intensified over the last 2 decades. Mean age continues to rise, while the 15-24 age group contracts dramatically. Such declining demographics are caused by the stress and uncertainty of volatile world commodity markets, as well as by environmental concerns, technology changes, changing lifestyles, low income and rising debt levels, declining educational and health services, deteriorating infrastructure, high family and business costs, and recent policies that centralize services. However, some communities have been able to build resilient characteristics and plan and implement a range of survival and revival strategies resulting in improved quality of life and economic opportunities. This handbook is designed to enhance the capacity of small rural communities to take proactive renewal initiatives by focusing on what communities are doing. Fourteen case studies are presented of small Australian towns with populations of less than 3,500 that have made positive local development possible. Although each case is unique, common themes include right timing; use of community planning processes; enthusiastic local leadership; positive attitude; local entrepreneurship; local investment; smart use of outside training, technical assistance, and financial resources; new community networks; and focus on retaining young people through employment, recreational, and educational initiatives. Contact information is presented for each case study. (Contains 420 references.) (TD)

In these changing times, rural communities must be able to solve unforeseen problems, adapt to economic and social changes, and sustain their efforts into the future. Their capacity to do so is dependent on the human capital among civic leaders. This paper examines human capital among civic leaders in Herring Bay, Maine, a rural, coastal community. The 57 community leaders studied included 24 return migrants with family roots in the community and 33 relative newcomers "from away." In-depth interviews, participant observation, archival research, and case study analysis of town governance provided a portrait of the skills and abilities brought to bear on civic life by Herring Bay's community leaders. The study found that in poor, remote Herring Bay, human capital among civic leaders was not lacking. Community leaders had much higher levels of education than the general U.S. population, and also had extensive business management experience and other skills applicable to municipal administration. Returnees brought their education and experience back to their native place and were making important contributions to civic leadership. However, these leaders were lacking in the very specialized skills and knowledge needed for managing today's municipalities. Training for volunteer citizen leaders is crucial in rural places lacking the resources to hire and retain professional municipal managers. (Contains 48 references.) (SV)

To have an impact on rural schools and communities, education researchers and reformers must stop approaching rural issues from an urban perspective, adopt a perspective that values rurality, and address issues specific to the rural context. Rural schools have contributed to the depletion of rural communities by focusing on individual mobility and prosperity rather than the public good. As schools have become more centralized, they have neglected their role in the life of their communities. Rural school districts usually cannot generate sufficient local resources to supplement adequately the state school finance programs the way more affluent localities can. Whether academic standards should be set by local, state, or federal entities is an issue of increasing concern. Safety and low-income student performance are enhanced in small schools, yet many rural school buildings need upgrading and access to telecommunications infrastructure. Most poor rural people are White, but rural minorities are significantly more impoverished as a percentage of the population. Changing demographics have made multicultural education issues hot topics in many rural communities. There is a shortage of rural teachers, especially in math, science, and special education, and a need for rural school leaders who can build trust in the community and incorporate community strengths into the curriculum. With regard to research, definitional inconsistencies and lack of adequate research severely limit policymakers' ability to know the effect of programs on rural schools or whether rural interests are being equitably addressed. (Contains 36 references.) (TD)

This report presents findings from an evaluation of 84 educational projects funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) during the 1990's. Data were collected via document reviews, interviews, a mail survey completed by 78 projects, and eight site visits. Most projects provided services to rural areas or community segments most in need. Projects primarily served elementary and secondary students and adults. The majority of projects aimed at developing educational resources, providing training to students and other community residents, or installing telecommunications applications. The most common services offered were adult literacy, secondary education, basic skills, and math and science education. Almost three-quarters of survey respondents reported that their level of accomplishment met or exceeded their original expectations. Many projects were able to sustain themselves beyond their ARC grant, but not many had expanded significantly beyond their original mission. Recommendations were made to enable the ARC to further enhance its capacity to assist its educational projects. Performance goals should be clarified and expanded. The ARC should continue to enhance its application workbook and guidelines. Final report requirements should be standardized. The practice of conducting validation visits to a sample of ARC projects should be continued. Workshops in effective data collection and analysis strategies should be provided. The ARC database should be enhanced and its information dissemination practices reinforced. Seven extensive appendices present examples and analyses of outcomes, survey data, notes, methodology, project descriptions, and the survey questionnaire. (Contains 21 tables, 15 figures, and 24 exhibits.) (TD)

In the past, rural America often relied on Washington for policy responses to its challenges, but federal policy has been slow to adapt to the broad changes taking place in so many rural communities. New approaches to rural policy have taken root in some states. Georgia's OneGeorgia Authority will oversee a series of economic development programs aimed at the lagging parts of the state, most of which are rural, using tobacco settlement money. Economic development grants will provide funds for public infrastructure, land acquisition, and site development. Equity grants will help build economic infrastructure, train workers, and promote tourism. Both programs target the poorest performing counties. Minnesota's Big Plan identifies 29 initiatives to ensure healthy, vital communities; help the state's people be self-sufficient; refocus state government on public service; develop the best K-12 education in the nation; and help Minnesota be competitive in global markets. Although not wholly aimed at rural issues, the plan includes many rural initiatives, such as extending Internet access to all communities, enabling Minnesota agriculture to be globally competitive, and educating and training the workforce in rural and urban areas. Illinois' Rural Affairs Council has identified seven priorities for policy development: improving access to technology and public transportation, increasing housing, strengthening economic development programs, bolstering rural health care infrastructure, increasing outlets for agricultural products, and building leadership capacity in local governments. New approaches like these show that many rural places are taking the initiative to seize their own economic opportunities. (TD)

The Inter-American Foundation (IAF), an independent agency of the U.S. government, funds innovative, participatory, and sustainable self-help development projects proposed and managed by grassroots groups and supportive organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean. IAF also encourages partnerships among community organizations, businesses, and local governments, directed at improving the quality of life for poor people and strengthening democratic processes. This annual report for 2001 describes IAF's grantmaking, evaluation, and dissemination activities and the July 16th forum "Building Democracy from the Grassroots," organized by IAF and a unit of the Organization for American States. The forum brought together policy makers and development practitioners to discuss the proposition that a democracy must be built from the bottom up. In 2001, IAF awarded 43 new grants and 27 supplemental grants in 15 countries, totalling about $13.9 million. Funding was distributed among five program areas: enterprise development and management, agriculture and food production, education and training, community services, and ecodevelopment. Many projects involved indigenous communities or focused on women's education and self-employment. Educational activities included entrepreneurship training, community-based literacy education and life-skills training, training in business and marketing, electrification and facilities improvement in rural schools, community leadership training, and agricultural and vocational education for adults and youth. (SV)

Social capital helps communities respond positively to change. Research into managing change through learning in communities and in small businesses, particularly farm businesses, has highlighted the importance of relationships between people and the formal and informal structure of communities to the quality of outcomes experienced by communities. Communities can be geographic communities or communities-of-common-purpose, such as agricultural commodity organizations or discussion groups. This paper reviews research into managing change through learning and social capital, presents a model of the simultaneous building and use of social capital, and explores the ways in which learning as part of an agricultural community can be used to bring benefits to isolated geographic communities. The model presented stems from studies in Tasmania (Australia) of the informal learning process that builds resilient communities. The two-stage model conceptualizes the way in which social capital is used and built in interactions among individuals. The first stage depicts social capital at the micro level of one-on-one interactions, focusing on knowledge resources and identity resources (identification with and commitment to the community). The second stage of the model outlines the interrelationship of micro-level social capital processes with community-level and societal-level social capital resources. (Contains 54 references.) (Author/SV)

Virginia's Southeastern Community College (SCC) examined its service area and performance in the late 1980s and found that its enrollments had dropped while area unemployment rates were rising. Local officials estimated that nearly 2,000 manufacturing jobs had been lost in the service area--Columbus County--since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The County was also contending with low rates of high school graduation and college attendance and a high level of poverty among minority populations. To combat the region's economic decline, SCC: (1) hired a new president; (2) created, in partnership with local social services and employment offices, the One Stop JobLink Career Center; (3) developed the Small Business Center; and (4) opened the Business and Industry Skills Training Center. The College also established an employee exchange program, sending a team of Columbus County manufacturing workers to France to receive training at a Conflandey plant. At the same time, several Conflandey employees came to Columbus County and received training at SCC. Conflandey's first tonnage was manufactured out of temporary facilities on SCC's campus. Conflandey is just 1 of SCC's successful industrial recruitment strategies, all of which have resulted in 200 new jobs for the county. (NB)

This paper reports on the development of the Community Computer Center (CCC) at Hibbing Community College (HCC) in Minnesota. HCC is located in the largest U.S. iron mining area in the United States. Closures of steel-producing plants are affecting the Hibbing area. Outmigration, particularly of younger workers and their families, has been substantial. This report argues that economic diversification in the area is imperative if Hibbing is to avoid continued "brain drain"--the loss of skilled workers. The U.S. Department of Education granted HCC an award in 1996 to upgrade its technology faculty and infrastructure. HCC took the project further and aligned with a coalition of community interest groups to develop a program that would match Hibbing's need for upgrading skills in the local workforce. Since the opening of the CCC in 1999, a total of 32 local firms and organizations have taken advantage of HCC's computer facilities to offer information technology (IT) skills training opportunities. Key elements of the CCC initiative include: (1) customized IT training for local workers; (2) continuing education that engages local residents from diverse backgrounds; (3) reaching across the digital divide; and (4) integrating closely with the region's long-term economic development strategy toward technology-based development. (NB)

Connemara, a rural region in Ireland, is characterized by high unemployment, high emigration, poor infrastructure, inadequate public services, and a low rate of transfer to third-level education. To address the situation, the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), joined forces with Connemara West (a community-owned development organization in the village of Letterfrack) to establish and operate a 2-year postsecondary program in furniture design and manufacture. The aim was to make the Furniture College a nationally, even internationally, renowned center for developing and teaching skills in modern furniture design and technology. By doing so, they hoped to expand economic opportunity for area youth, stimulate the local economy, revive the lagging Irish furniture industry, and increase national demand for high-quality furniture. Programs offered include a certificate in furniture design and manufacture, a bachelor of science in furniture technology, and a certificate in furniture production. The Furniture Technology Center, an entity developed by but separate from the college, offers technical consulting, technical information, courses, seminars, and technology demonstrations. The Furniture Restoration Center is another successful but separate entity of the college. Nearly all students surveyed for this report expect to leave the area, as there are still few local companies to employ them. It is still too early to calculate the college's potential economic impact on the local economy. (NB)

In September 2000, grantmakers from around the country traveled to three Nebraska communities--Albion, Crete, and Henderson--to see how community-based education can positively affect the economic, environmental, and cultural development of a rural community. In Albion, the school is an open laboratory in which students, teachers, and parents work together to preserve the culture, environment, and quality of life cherished by residents of this remote Nebraska community. Community-based education in Henderson reflects the Mennonite faith central to its history and builds upon a spirit of cooperation that is the cornerstone of this community's successes. Henderson kept its school in the community by merging with a neighboring school system and developed cooperatively-owned telecommunications and recycling businesses that operate in a number of rural communities. in Crete, community-based education resulted in a new one-stop, multiple services facility that grew out of a partnership of local government, the school, businesses, and philanthropy. Three lessons were learned from the trip. The community school is vital to the survival of rural communities, not only for teaching positive values and cherishing a vanishing way of life, but also for helping the community focus on intergenerational communication that leads to leadership development and potential retention of youth. The community school can be an incubator for small business development. Youth and the community learn the values of collaboration, cooperation, and communication through community-based education. (TD)

The Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) at Mississippi State University fosters innovative approaches to sustainable rural development and builds collaborative networks among agencies, institutions, and communities. The center's key goals are to: 1) strengthen and support the capacity of Southern land-grant institutions and their partners to conduct rural development research and outreach education; 2) enhance the economic, environmental, and social well-being of rural communities; 3) strengthen the human capital of the region's rural communities; 4) improve rural Southerners' access to community services; and 5) enhance the capacity of rural communities to carry out their expanded responsibilities in the design, management, and financing of government programs. This report briefly describes the activities the SRDC has undertaken from October 1999 to September 2000: research in which the SRDC has been involved, extension education workshops and conferences the center has sponsored, publications it has produced, and efforts undertaken to support the rural development efforts of southern land-grant faculty. The nature and extent of extramural funding secured by the SRDC in support of its priority goals are outlined. A synopsis of activities carried out by the SRDC in support of the center's five priority goals is presented. Partners, board members, technical advisory committee members, staff, presentations, and conferences and meetings attended are listed. (TD)

To gain a perspective on rural America's future, seven roundtables consisting of seven rural stakeholder groups were convened. Four groups of challenges facing rural areas emerged. The rural business environment was considered the source of greatest challenge. Agriculture concerns included low profits and access to world markets. The effects of increasing consolidation, and a lack of diversity were concerns within agriculture and across the rural business spectrum, as were the roles of government regulations and tax policies. Challenges of community included a shrinking rural population and its related effects on tax bases, provision of services, the quantity and quality of available human capital and leadership skills, persistent poverty, and limited rural experience in business and economic development. Challenges associated with place ranked third. Mobilizing rural residents, getting exposure to policymakers, maintaining existing infrastructures, and building a new telecommunications infrastructure are limited by remoteness. Particular financial concerns included limited access to capital and the loss of local control that accompanies the takeover of local banks. Policy recommendations included implementing a rural-friendly approach in new and existing policies, improving support for rural businesses, strengthening rural infrastructure, increasing regional cooperation, and making more capital available. Rural strengths were identified as a sense of community, rural quality of life and landscape, and faith in rural entrepreneurs. (TD)

Buying and selling on the Internet, known as e-commerce, has become big business, and is still growing. E-commerce has two components, business to consumer retailing and business to business supply-chain operations. Participation is dependent on access to and adoption of advanced information technologies. Access to technology is influenced by education, income, race, and residence (rural or urban). The South is disadvantaged in all these areas. Businesses in the South cannot afford to let the barriers hold e-commerce back. Rural businesses need to position themselves now for a technology-driven future to increase their chances of survival. Even though there is interest in e-commerce, there is a critical lack of unbiased educational information and technical assistance for businesses. To facilitate economic development through e-commerce in the rural South, all people and businesses must have the opportunity to be connected to the Internet; educational institutions must develop programs that assist businesses and communities with connectivity, infrastructure, e-commerce, and other technology-related issues; states must educate, recruit, and retain people with technical expertise in the region; and state and local policymakers must take a comprehensive and strategic look at e-commerce from an economic development perspective. (Contains 11 references.) (TD)