Community economics • Leadership and civic engagement • Tourism
Extension educators work in, and partner with, communities throughout Minnesota. Contact us for consultation, guidance and conversation about your community.
Extension engages Minnesotans to strengthen the social, civic, economic and technological capacity of their communities. We help create vibrant communities and enhance skills and knowledge in economics, leadership and civic engagement and tourism.
Rural and urban communities depend on each other to grow their economies and establish commerce. Learn how Extension facilitates community links.
Express interest in the Growing Local Leadership program for northwest Minnesota by Oct. 1, 2024.
Who do business owners turn to for advice? Read what Extension learned in our Minnesota business succession and transition study.
Help your community develop an economic strategy.
Find no-cost market research and resources to help analyze your downtown markets. These tools can help small-town businesses thrive.
Get to know your county's retail sector. Review data on trends over time and put current numbers into content to help your local retailers.
Community-based research creates a community-driven plan to support local business.
Baby boomers are retiring and they're selling their businesses. Is your community ready? Learn how to support business owners before and after a transfer of ownership.
What do entrepreneurs need to succeed? Read how you can help your community focus on entrepreneurs.
How would a change impact your local economy? Find resources to help your community learn more.
Do you have an economic development question that affects your community? Let us know. The EDA Center studies economic development concerns in Minnesota.
Help community leaders grow and strengthen their leadership.
Is your community willing to invest in its future? Take our assessment and discover your community's leadership strengths and priorities.
Find resources to help you increase public involvement, assist with meeting planning, facilitation and make group decisions.
What connects you to others in your community? Learn how social capital is the glue that holds communities together and ways to build and grow trust.
How do charismatic leaders impact communities? Learn about charismatic leadership, followership and the development of connections in communities.
What would help you lead in your community? Find research-based publications for building leadership programs, creating committees that work and facilitation.
We're working to engage tribal leaders and strengthen partnerships in Minnesota. Explore ways to learn and engage with us.
Help create and sustain local tourism experiences.
Assisting Minnesota communities with local economic growth through tourism.
A corn maze, a barn wedding, and a tour of a bison ranch are all examples of agritourism. Learn how agritourism helps farmers and communities, and find some helpful resources.
Learn about completed and ongoing projects and research that help inform community decisions.
There's a brain gain in rural Minnesota. Learn about the trend and how Extension can help your community create a vision for attracting new residents.
What factors are affecting Greater Minnesota's economy? Read about our research study. Learn how 'it's not your grandmother's rural economy anymore.'
How do you evaluate your community development work? Learn about ripple effect mapping (REM) and how it tells the story of a program through maps.
Explore resources for rural grocers, results of the statewide rural grocery survey, and information on the farm-to-rural-grocery-to-wholesale backhaul project.
How can a community attract workers without affordable housing? Learn about our rural housing study and creative solutions communities found for housing.
Learn how we connect with communities and about available consultation, research and training offerings.
We help communities choose their future. Together we can create research that answers your key questions or design community workshops that bring valuable information to your local discussions.
Extension's leadership programs focus on what you need to lead in your community. Our cohort approach to leadership education helps you learn and grow new knowledge and skills to bring people together and solve problems.
Is your community ready to launch a business retention initiative in Minnesota? Extension offers training, facilitation and expert advice to community leaders to help you move through the process.
Find on-demand webinars to refresh your leadership and civic engagement skills and deepen your understanding of topics important to community leaders.
Find webinars on community economic topics. Learn how to attract and retain businesses and residents, grow retail sales and understand economic changes.
Learn about topics important to Minnesota communities through news articles, videos and podcasts. Use this information to get engaged in your community and help others better know, decide and act.
View all community development learning opportunities.
Read news and insights on Extension's work in communities tied to local economies, leadership, civic engagement, and tourism.
Community economics • Leadership and civic engagement • Tourism
Extension educators work in, and partner with, communities throughout Minnesota. Contact us for consultation, guidance and conversation about your community.
© 2024 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.