Testing
Jordan Rasmussen, Nebraska Extension,
Rural Prosperity, Nebraska Extension Educator
based in Garfield Loop and Wheeler Counties.
Testing. Testing.
Rural communities need rural community
leaders to grow and thrive
but these leaders also need to be nurtured
as they step into these informal and formal
leadership capacities.
Nebraska Extension works with
communities across the state
to help build up this leadership capacity.
Nebraska Extension accomplishes this by
working along side a community
to create a framework
for community leadership
development program
that matches
the communities needs and goals.
This partnership is critical
as community leadership development
is built upon relationships
and local contacts.
This might look like a
multi-month program, a complement to
an existing leadership program
or be offered as sessions
integrated into community initiatives.
We also encourage communties
to consider ways they can bring
youth into these opportunities
to build up next generation leaders
along side adults
growing in their leadership.
More over,
in the sessions and lessons
that Extension Educators teach
we are drawing upon
the research and expertise
of University of Nebraska-Lincoln facility
applying a place based lens
and helping leaders grow right in their own communities.
Ultimately our goal is to work with
a community to design
a program that is locally self sustaining
where leaders help grow
the next generation of community leaders
and create a culture of leadership.
We have seen these community leadership
develop programs make a difference
here in rural Nebraska.
Given the varied goals of communities,
we want a someone a aspiring leader
to design and work together on project,
like a promotional video, a community event
or an improvement at the park.
Other communities have sought
to create networking and organizational match
activities for aspiring leaders creating a path for
involvement in leadership opportunities.
Putting those leadership skills
into action,
we see those who participated
in these programs go onto to serve on
church, Extension Board, non-profit and
local economic development boards,
both locally and statewide.
Moreover, these folks
take on leadership roles at work,
or go on to run for school board,
city council or county offices.
And when working at it best,
we see a leader taking initiative
around a community opportunity.
Leveraging the capacity for visioning,
empowering others and making things happen
in their home towns.
In part drawing upon the skills
they have developed
through the local leadership
development program.
If you would like to learn more
or have questions about
developing a community leadership
development program in your town,
please reach out to me at
jordan.rasmussen@unl.edu or
check us out online at
https://ruralprosperityne.unl.edu
For Nebraska Extension,
I'm Jordan Rasmussen.