SRDC Strategic Plan

• Fostering Civic-Minded Communities

• Building Economically Vibrant Communities

• Enhancing Distressed Communities

A Common Concern: Poverty in the South

Our Model: A Promising Solution

Horizons:A community leadership program

aimed at reducing poverty in small rural communities faced with economic

decline.

Project Partners

• Southern Rural Development Center• Everyday Democracy• Farm Foundation• Kettering Foundation• State Teams

State TeamsYear One

Year Two

Selecting Locations

• Interested Extension educators

• Rural areas having an interest

• Individual poverty 20% or higher in the county

Alabama’s High Poverty Counties:Rural and Micropolitan20% or More Poverty

Selected Sites

Georgia’s High Poverty Counties:Rural and Micropolitan20% or More Poverty

Louisiana’s High Poverty Counties:Rural and Micropolitan20% or More Poverty

Mississippi’s High Poverty Counties:Rural and Micropolitan20% or More Poverty

SelectedSites

Oklahoma’s High Poverty Counties:Rural and Micropolitan20% or More Poverty

Purpose of the Project

• Explore the causes of poverty.• Talk about possible solutions.• Select strategies that fit the

community.• Work together for change.

End product:Citizens develop & implement a

Community-Based Action Plan.

Community Coach• Oversees and supports the community

effort, from start to finish• Assembles and organizes the Core

Planning Team• Serves as an ambassador for the program• Trains volunteer Study Circle facilitators• Assembles and organizes the Action

Oversight Committee• Assists Action Oversight Committee in

supporting the Action Teams

Core Planning Team • Participates in trainings• Practices talking through the Circles

guide• Plans Community Circles• Recruits community participants &

facilitators.• Organizes a kick-off event to launch

Community Circles.• Coordinates the Action Forum.• Facilitates Community Action Plans.

How Community Circles Work

• Made up of 8-12 people from different backgrounds

• Meet together once a week for 5 weeks; each meeting is two hours in duration

• Talk through a set of questions to guide discussions

• Led by a neutral facilitator

Organize Community Circles

Action Forum

Action

Facilitator Training

Plan for Action

Recruit Participants and

Facilitators

Kick Off

Work On Actions

The Key Phases of the Circles Process

Moving from Talk to Action

Action Oversight Committee• Chairs of Action Teams

• Core Planning Team reps.• Community Coach

• Others

Action Team

Action Team

Action Team

Sample Action Teams

Location Action Teams

Tensas Parish (LA)

• Opportunity Fair• Farmer’s Market/ Music Festival

Neshoba Co. (MS)

• Money Mentors Program• Community Resource Guide• Community Garden

Dallas Co. (AL)

•Community Circles on Youth Violence•Community Beautification & Pride

Learning about the Process

Local Citizens: • Pre/Post Survey

Local Community:• Key Informant Interviews• Focus Groups

What We Are Hearing:• Overall: People are ready to make

a difference.

• Barriers - Some people:– Feel their voices are not heard or

valued.– Do not know how to get involved.– Are just waiting to be asked.– Perceive leadership to be closed.– Apathy – not sure how issues relate to

them personally.

How This Project Helps• Fosters broad community involvement

– Everyone is welcome!

• Provides a clear process to help people get involved in meaningful ways.

• Increases personal ownership to the community and to the issue.

• Creates a community partnership in which leadership and citizens join hands in addressing community issues.

Timeline

Training & Planning for Study Circles

Begin Community PlansPost SurveyFollow-up Interviews

Conduct Action Forum

Conduct Study Circles

Launch Community Program – Kick-Off

Community interviews & focus groups

Participant Pre-Survey

Community ProcessResearch

Dec. – Feb.

March

March - April

April

April -ongoing

Dr. Bo BeaulieuSRDC Director

ljb@srdc.msstate.edu

Rachel Welborn Program Manager

rachelw@srdc.msstate.edu

662-325-3207srdc.msstate.edu/tide