The first week of August is an exciting time for all of us at CCED and community and economic developers from all over the region! Every year we host the Community Development Institute, a three-year training program where you spend a week each year learning the principles of community and economic development. Some of the best and brightest Arkansas community leaders come together at the University of Central Arkansas for a week of networking and highly informative training sessions. We see old friends and make new connections. Sadly, due to COVID-19 and in an effort to keep our staff and participants safe and help stop the spread of the virus, we decided to cancel CDI Years 1, 2, and 3.
But there is one part of the show that will still go on! Our CDI Advanced Year participants, a small group of 10 CDI graduates, agreed to carry on this year. The Advanced Year will follow all social distancing and safety guidelines provided by the UCA administration, the state, and the CDC.
The Advanced Year is a week-long, intensive workshop that takes place in an Arkansas community and that allows CDI graduates the opportunity to use the skills and knowledge they’ve gained from CDI in a real-world setting. In the past, the Advanced Year class worked in Paris, Heber Springs, Lonoke, Alma, Sheridan, and Camden.
Advanced Year class of 2020 will work with Beebe. The Advanced Year will conduct an online audit of Beebe, participate in a socially distanced driving tour of the town, and host virtual focus groups with residents. At the end of the week, CDI Advanced Year participants will present their findings to key community leaders and the presentation will be live-streamed via the City of Beebe’s Facebook page. The presentation will focus on the community’s assets and opportunities from the perspective of the residents and local leaders. Participants will identify emerging priorities for the community.
The CDI Advanced Year will meet August 3 – 6, 2020. Be sure to tune in on Thursday, August 6 at 1 p.m. to watch the Advanced Year’s presentation on the City of Beebe’s Facebook page (LINK).