University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension faculty recently traveled to Darwin, Australia, to attend the World Community Development Conference and share their expertise while learning new approaches.
Marilyn Schlake, an extension educator with Rural Prosperity Nebraska, and Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, a professor and Rural Prosperity Nebraska extension specialist, made the trip in June 2023 for the global conference. They reached out to make new international collaborations for potential research opportunities and to share what Nebraska is doing in community economic development.
Schlake said they already have a couple of potential new research collaborations in the works with colleagues in the U.S., Scotland, and Australia that may lead to new projects. She explained the importance of learning from others in different but similar environments, like comparing rural areas in Australia and the U.S. which both have remote, low population bases.
For example, Burkhart-Kriesel said, they sat in on a session where a researcher discussed the value of rural residents coming together and building social capital for individual and community well-being. The gathering place was a regional cattle sale barn, which Schlake said illustrates how social connections are vital for professionals who work in isolated areas. She said the contact would have never happened without them attending the conference.
The conference also highlighted techniques for community engagement, planning, and economic development strategies, especially for Aboriginal communities. Schlake and Burkhart-Kriesel interacted with government and non-profit providers to compare approaches.
Burkhart-Kriesel said the conference reaffirmed the importance of community engagement for all types of communities, especially remote rural ones. Engagement brings forth ideas, values. and opportunities community members deem important to guide future directions. It also helps leadership determine actions that benefit their community, not ones pushed by outside entities.
They also presented three Nebraska-developed programs of interest to professionals: Red Carpet Service for customer service training, Marketing HomeTown America for community engagement around newcomer recruitment and resident retention, and community engagement around water resources priorities.
Schlake said the takeaway was that conferences represent an investment in future knowledge and collaborations. Doing the same things over and over brings the same results, she said, while listening to global perspectives opens possibilities.