2021 Rural Fellows—Ord/Valley County

Clare Umutoni & Kaylee Burnside Author

08/13/2021 Added

36 Plays

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Student and Community Fellows talk about the community development projects they worked on in Ord and Valley County, Nebraska during Summer 2021.

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[00:00:01.566](gentle music)
[00:00:02.932]Valley County is at the center of Nebraska.
[00:00:06.300]Valley County is the 47th County.
[00:00:09.350]Valley County is home to 4,260 people.
[00:00:13.730]Valley County is comprised of Ord, Elyria,
[00:00:16.230]Arcadia and North Loup.
[00:00:19.731]Welcome to Valley County.
[00:00:22.896](women laughing)
[00:00:24.980]From growing up in a small town,
[00:00:26.190]I already knew that I loved rural communities.
[00:00:29.696]Growing up in the city,
[00:00:30.890]this is my first experience living in a small town.
[00:00:34.490]I found the unmatched community hospitality,
[00:00:36.990]the bustling downtown, the wide open spaces,
[00:00:39.610]and of course the great people
[00:00:41.210]is why everyone else should too.
[00:00:43.530]Valley County has given me the best lifetime adventure.
[00:00:47.940]I loved the connectedness between people
[00:00:50.200]and as an intern I felt welcome and involved.
[00:00:54.390]All the constructive conversations and ideas shared
[00:00:57.720]have taught me the importance
[00:00:59.090]of a community working together, supporting each other,
[00:01:02.820]and having a common goal.
[00:01:05.180]This summer has been a pivotal
[00:01:06.670]learning experience as I look to my future.
[00:01:08.910]I've come to understand the importance
[00:01:10.390]of futuristic thinking.
[00:01:11.620]There's no such thing as being stagnant.
[00:01:13.400]You're either moving forward or backward.
[00:01:15.700]Being in the economic development and chamber office,
[00:01:17.900]we really got to see firsthand
[00:01:19.700]how this type of thinking is critical to community success.
[00:01:24.740]I have learned how important
[00:01:26.160]strategic thinking is
[00:01:27.670]while planning for community development projects
[00:01:30.620]and just how important it is to make sure
[00:01:32.730]that no community members' welfare
[00:01:34.710]is left uncatered for.
[00:01:36.540]I do not want this to be my last experience
[00:01:39.270]but the beginning of my lifetime career.
[00:01:42.030]I want to take all the skills I have acquired this summer,
[00:01:45.640]combine them with my agricultural knowledge
[00:01:47.930]to become a rural community developer in Rwanda.
[00:01:53.740]As the old adage goes,
[00:01:55.147]"Time flies when you're having fun".
[00:01:56.880]How true that is for this summer.
[00:01:58.900]Throughout our time here, relationships were built.
[00:02:01.690]Effective communication was posted
[00:02:03.690]among community members.
[00:02:05.370]Projects that'll impact Valley County
[00:02:07.180]for decades in the future were launched.
[00:02:09.460]And so much more.
[00:02:11.300]This summer,
[00:02:12.133]we took on most of our projects together
[00:02:13.820]as a collaborative unit.
[00:02:15.730]Each week we had a strategic planning session
[00:02:18.630]where we decided how to tackle the week's responsibilities
[00:02:22.420]and set ourselves up for success
[00:02:25.190]in each of our projects.
[00:02:27.090]We've been in and out of the downtown businesses
[00:02:29.790]more times than I can count,
[00:02:31.600]all with the purpose of building connections,
[00:02:33.550]direct communication
[00:02:34.810]and effective planning of upcoming events.
[00:02:37.760]We were able to attend numerous board meetings
[00:02:40.660]all with the purpose of bettering Valley County.
[00:02:43.970]We focused on projects that involve childcare,
[00:02:46.790]a new water trail, business development,
[00:02:49.610]tourism and a ruminate database
[00:02:52.420]and so much more through these meetings.
[00:02:56.360]Community development
[00:02:57.370]is all about creating connections,
[00:02:59.340]fostering new ideas and taking action to achieve a vision.
[00:03:03.880]A process that is never ending
[00:03:06.030]because there is always something new to explore
[00:03:08.310]that will help a community move forward.
[00:03:12.860]One of our main projects
[00:03:14.120]for which Kaylee and I took the lead
[00:03:16.490]was business development.
[00:03:18.660]It was expressed to us early on
[00:03:20.290]that trust and communication
[00:03:21.880]between store owners was lacking.
[00:03:23.890]People just did their own thing
[00:03:25.330]without really interacting with their neighbors
[00:03:27.140]right down the street.
[00:03:28.460]We've helped start a culture of inclusiveness
[00:03:30.510]for downtown businesses.
[00:03:33.000]As part of this project,
[00:03:34.520]we worked with the downtown businesses
[00:03:36.550]to encourage more engagement,
[00:03:38.520]improve the communication between these patrons.
[00:03:41.500]To prepare for this downtown coffee connection,
[00:03:43.740]we ventured out to the local businesses
[00:03:45.400]to hand deliver invitations.
[00:03:47.170]We thought this was a great way to show
[00:03:48.770]that we wanted and would appreciate their presence
[00:03:50.760]at this meeting.
[00:03:52.010]This experience has helped us to understand
[00:03:53.680]the importance of partnerships
[00:03:55.100]and utilizing your available resources.
[00:03:57.380]In this instance,
[00:03:58.213]we connected with our brand new restaurant space
[00:04:00.140]for our venue.
[00:04:01.020]And our recently opened coffee shop
[00:04:02.460]provided their amazing sticky rolls
[00:04:03.980]as breakfast goodies.
[00:04:05.560]Kaylee and I facilitated
[00:04:07.460]an asset mapping speed dating exercise.
[00:04:10.690]Through this interaction,
[00:04:11.850]they got to know each other on a more personal level,
[00:04:14.300]through authentic communication
[00:04:15.890]while also sharing their passion and dreams
[00:04:18.070]for seeing their community continued to grow and prosper.
[00:04:21.410]These dialogues help bridge communication gaps
[00:04:23.770]while creating a potential action plan
[00:04:25.570]for our spaces and programming committees
[00:04:27.750]as they start to meet in these coming weeks.
[00:04:30.110]As we mentioned earlier,
[00:04:31.580]we also took on community storytelling and asset mapping.
[00:04:35.100]For this project,
[00:04:36.340]we got to meet a wide range of community leaders and members
[00:04:39.930]to learn about their strengths, gifts, passions,
[00:04:43.670]and why they love Valley County and all the other tidbits
[00:04:47.650]of goodness that they wanted to share with us.
[00:04:51.000]We got to meet one of the first women jewelers
[00:04:53.130]in the state.
[00:04:53.963]We learned about Ord's heroine, Evelyn Sharp,
[00:04:56.130]and the importance that she can play
[00:04:57.680]in garnering tourism attention.
[00:04:59.640]We met a filmmaker who is using his talents right here.
[00:05:03.040]We then started creating narratives for these individuals
[00:05:05.670]to capitalize on the great things they said
[00:05:07.690]and to share it with the general public,
[00:05:09.500]but also as a way to learn about their interests and dreams,
[00:05:12.260]to help them connect them with like-minded people.
[00:05:15.140]This helped community members know themselves better
[00:05:17.400]and know how they can bring all their gifts
[00:05:19.280]and potential together to better Valley County.
[00:05:22.436]As we leave, this project did not end.
[00:05:25.217]Our community fellows would be able to move forward
[00:05:27.870]by looking over the recordings,
[00:05:30.140]narratives already written to create an environment
[00:05:32.740]of collaboration, excitement, and creativity.
[00:05:37.490]Our rural fellows helped us create relationships
[00:05:40.290]that will impact this community for years to come.
[00:05:43.692]By asset mapping our community members,
[00:05:45.500]they created narratives and storytelling
[00:05:47.620]that featured entrepreneurs, artists,
[00:05:50.010]and even heroes who are assets
[00:05:51.680]that are essentially invisible.
[00:05:53.860]Because our rural fellows captured these moments,
[00:05:56.320]they will live on for the next generations to share.
[00:05:59.660]This community won't forget
[00:06:00.930]that we had one of the first women jewelers
[00:06:03.010]or one of the youngest female aviators
[00:06:05.330]or individuals who are able to use their artistic talents
[00:06:08.310]nationally and live in rural Nebraska.
[00:06:11.810]Innovation and adventure will live on through these stories.
[00:06:15.700]By facilitating connecting conversations
[00:06:17.830]among business owners,
[00:06:19.240]our rural fellows helped create a solid foundation
[00:06:21.930]for current and future entrepreneurs,
[00:06:24.280]which is each others' support, expertise, and visions.
[00:06:28.310]Our rural fellows showed our community
[00:06:30.270]what being an inclusive community is.
[00:06:33.090]Our rural fellows interns helped us accomplish so much
[00:06:35.710]during their time in our community.
[00:06:37.510]They engaged business owners about activities
[00:06:40.470]and development opportunities in our downtown district.
[00:06:43.720]They captured stories from community members
[00:06:46.410]that will be used to illustrate the quality of life
[00:06:49.450]and opportunities that exist in Valley County.
[00:06:52.600]Their involvement in these and other community initiatives
[00:06:55.560]brought new ideas and perspectives
[00:06:57.560]based on their unique backgrounds and experiences.
[00:07:00.990]Their work this summer also helped develop
[00:07:03.010]the social capital in our community
[00:07:04.880]in a meaningful and intentional way.
[00:07:07.630]Something that's critical and engaging new volunteers,
[00:07:10.570]empowering business owners, and helping residents
[00:07:13.510]to establish roots where they live.
[00:07:16.930]Many of our projects were just the springboard
[00:07:19.520]to where they want to be in the future.
[00:07:22.590]We help start or jumped in the middle of projects
[00:07:24.930]that will help this community thrive for a long time.
[00:07:28.690]The Loup Valley Childhood Initiative
[00:07:31.010]is one of these projects and one of the key partners
[00:07:33.750]that help bring us to Valley County.
[00:07:36.540]We had many roles within this project
[00:07:39.030]and we created graphics, informational material,
[00:07:43.220]attended meetings, and give opinions and input
[00:07:46.430]to assist with the planning of a new childcare center.
[00:07:49.740]In one of our first weeks here,
[00:07:51.280]we're able to be involved
[00:07:52.220]with holding a feasibility luncheon.
[00:07:54.150]During this event,
[00:07:54.983]we invited an architecture firm from Omaha
[00:07:57.070]out to our community
[00:07:58.020]to look at potential childcare center locations
[00:08:00.510]and to give a presentation to community leaders.
[00:08:03.490]This is important to the future of this community
[00:08:05.730]as it is critical to creating an environment
[00:08:08.330]that is welcoming to young adults and families.
[00:08:11.730]These demographic wants to move here.
[00:08:14.200]The impossible task of finding childcare,
[00:08:16.530]let alone high quality childcare
[00:08:18.720]leads them to choose other locations.
[00:08:21.060]Assisting with this project has helped
[00:08:23.080]with community awareness to this essential need.
[00:08:26.460]It is creating a foundation that will set them up
[00:08:29.730]for success as they continue to bring awareness
[00:08:32.923]into the next phase of capital campaigning.
[00:08:36.630]I feel that something
[00:08:37.540]that was consistently talked about in this office
[00:08:39.950]is the ripple effect.
[00:08:41.520]How one little change or action taking place
[00:08:44.150]can affect the whole community in a multitude of ways.
[00:08:47.290]In a rural community, it is even more evident
[00:08:49.320]when that happens.
[00:08:50.530]This effect will be seen as they continue to put into motion
[00:08:52.980]the creation of this childcare center.
[00:08:55.230]This new service will provide childcare to allow parents
[00:08:58.070]and grandparents the ability to go to work.
[00:09:00.350]It'll provide new jobs,
[00:09:01.540]which will bring more families which will grow the town.
[00:09:04.400]That growth means more money being spent here,
[00:09:06.490]which means greater economic prosperity.
[00:09:08.680]That awesome dub is simply a better quality of life
[00:09:11.530]for everyone.
[00:09:13.390]Having our rural fellows participate
[00:09:15.220]in Loup Valley Childhood Initiatives efforts
[00:09:17.680]was a great asset because they were able to provide
[00:09:20.250]a fresh perspective on the effects childcare
[00:09:22.760]can have on a community.
[00:09:24.680]They helped us share the importance
[00:09:26.160]of early childhood education to the future
[00:09:28.330]of our community and local economy.
[00:09:30.810]In return, I feel we gave them a new perspective
[00:09:33.220]on economic development.
[00:09:35.100]It's not just new buildings and property tax valuations.
[00:09:38.370]It's also about creating opportunities for all who live here
[00:09:41.580]and those who wish to live here.
[00:09:43.440]I'm grateful for this experience
[00:09:44.980]because the practice of being an inclusive leader
[00:09:47.830]is never ending.
[00:09:49.380]There are always new opportunities to learn from
[00:09:52.190]and engage individuals that have different backgrounds,
[00:09:55.310]experiences, and ideas than you.
[00:09:58.960]Working with the rural fellows opened my eyes
[00:10:01.220]to what an inclusive leader is.
[00:10:03.330]Our experiences and who we are
[00:10:05.220]can create differences in how we operate.
[00:10:07.660]By understanding our differences,
[00:10:09.260]even understanding each other's personality types,
[00:10:11.800]our community leaders and rural fellows
[00:10:13.960]avoided any conflict.
[00:10:15.840]We utilized our strengths to the fullest
[00:10:17.590]and got a lot of work done.
[00:10:19.050]And we had a blast doing it.
[00:10:20.820]This was a great practice
[00:10:21.960]of being an inclusive leader that came with the support
[00:10:24.830]of Rural Prosperity Nebraska and other statewide entities,
[00:10:28.770]as well as the rural fellows leaders
[00:10:30.560]and other communities across the state.
[00:10:32.890]Not only did this experience allow us
[00:10:35.040]to include Kaylee and Clare's perspectives
[00:10:37.630]in our community initiatives,
[00:10:39.530]their work also engaged community members in this process,
[00:10:42.820]which multiplied our efforts
[00:10:44.510]to include others' perspectives and ideas.
[00:10:48.280]One of our favorite questions to ask
[00:10:49.870]during an asset mapping interview
[00:10:51.290]is how did you end up here?
[00:10:52.870]And why did you choose to stay?
[00:10:54.890]Let me tell you the most popular answer.
[00:10:57.060]It's not complicated or long,
[00:10:58.910]but truly an asset to be mapped and appreciated.
[00:11:01.860]It is simple as this,
[00:11:03.880]the people.
[00:11:04.900]It is what has made us feel at home here
[00:11:06.300]at the past 10 weeks
[00:11:07.620]and it'll be what makes newcomers want to stay.
[00:11:11.350]Ord is a beautiful town with beautiful people
[00:11:14.570]and all the projects we've worked on this summer,
[00:11:17.240]I see Ord attracting people from all over the world,
[00:11:20.540]not just to tour but to stay.
[00:11:23.620]A place where kids who have the best childhood memories
[00:11:27.130]and be even more developed
[00:11:28.570]without losing its small town charm.
[00:11:32.550]The work that Kaylee and Clare have done
[00:11:34.410]for our community reinforced the notion
[00:11:37.060]that community members want to connect.
[00:11:39.860]They want to be heard
[00:11:41.210]and they want to help one another succeed.
[00:11:43.950]Continuing to develop our local entrepreneurial ecosystem
[00:11:47.740]and quality of life will serve as a catalyst
[00:11:50.650]for the continued growth of our community.
[00:11:53.090]Kaylee and Clare will not only have
[00:11:54.560]a lasting impression on this community and its citizens,
[00:11:57.320]but also on our office and the people in it.
[00:11:59.750]I hope in 40 or 50 years from now,
[00:12:01.600]some interns or community leaders see the work
[00:12:03.940]that started in Valley County in summer of 2021
[00:12:07.170]and think let's asset map those visionaries.
[00:12:10.720]As we leave and go on,
[00:12:12.220]I'm so excited to be able to come back and see the changes
[00:12:14.870]and innovations that will be happening here.
[00:12:17.130]As we've heard it multiple times this summer,
[00:12:19.200]Ord is on the cusp of so much potential and exciting change.
[00:12:23.130]Look out Nebraska, because here Ord comes.
[00:12:32.704]Valley County is full of vibrant and beautiful people.
[00:12:36.413]Valley County is forward-thinking.
[00:12:39.950]Valley County is always building new opportunities.
[00:12:43.610]Valley County is ready for more.

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2021 Rural Fellows—Ord/Valley County

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