Released Nov. 29, 2007

FARGO, N.D.--A pilot community development program needs participants.

One city of 1,500 or fewer residents and one with 1,501 to 3,000 residents will have the opportunity to participate in the Beginning Again North Dakota pilot program.

The program is designed to help communities identify their assets or strengths and then build upon those strengths in the development and implementation of a strategic plan. The program is administered through the North Dakota Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Services. The North Dakota State University Extension Service’s Center for Community Vitality and NDSU Department of Sociology will conduct the program.

“This program will help community leaders to recognize, inventory and use the many strengths and talents of their community to grow,” says Kathleen Tweeten, Center for Community Vitality director.

The 2007 North Dakota Legislature initiated the Beginning Again North Dakota program to assist small, rural communities. The program will help local leadership collect an inventory of assets, which will be placed in a database that can be updated easily. Upon completion of the inventory, local leadership will solicit input into a strategic planning process, complete a plan and begin implementation.

Interested cities must meet the following criteria to apply:

• Be under 3,000 in population according to the 2000 census data
• Have an active leadership structure willing to devote time and talent to complete the program
• Be willing to provide significant financial resources to further the program

Financial resources are defined as “in-kind” as well as local costs for printing, mailing, data collection, computer access, meeting facilities, time, etc.

To be eligible, communities also must be:

• Independent of other cities (not a bedroom community)
• Willing to participate in the program
• Willing to update their asset inventory and continue implementing their strategic plan after the program completion date

Applications are due Dec. 17. To apply, contact the NDSU Extension Service Center for Community Vitality at (701) 328-9718.

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http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/news/newsreleases/2007/nov-29-2007/wanted-two-cities-for-beginning-again-north-dakota-program

Contact: Kathleen Tweeten, (701) 328-9718 or kathleen.tweeten@ndsu.edu

Ellen Crawford, (701) 231-5391 or ellen.crawford@ndsu.edu