Mission
To strengthen the ability of the land-grant system and its partners to help build rural community capacity, create vibrant and sustainable economies, and cultivate inclusive approaches to governance to enhance regional well-being.

5-Year Goal
To increase the capacity of rural communities to address issues of community economic development, diversity, and water quality and quantity through collaborative research and support for capacity building efforts among Extension programs and other community workers.

Objective 1
To increase the capacity of communities to cope with change and implement strategies that address the triple bottom line by:

• Facilitating the offering of an on-line masters’ degree in community development.
• Providing Extension educators with training in core competencies, skills and processes, and specialized skill development.
• Facilitating research on successful regional coping strategies.

Objective 2
To increase the land-grant universities’ ability to reach out to under-served and new populations by:

• Developing bridges with Native communities and institutions.
• Continuing to support the Hispanic initiative.
• Focusing attention on the need to nurture diversity.
• Researching successful economic development strategies by Native Americans, new immigrants and Hispanics.

Objective 3
To convene research groups around issues central to the work of land-grant universities in community and economic development in order to foster the development of effective, science-based educational materials and outreach programs. Specific topics to include:

• Providing new and alternative strategies for alleviating poverty in the Midwest and Great Plains.
• Using the community capitals framework in mapping, planning and evaluation.
• The current and potential role of entrepreneurship in job and firm creation, social entrepreneurship and civic entrepreneurship.
• Social and organizational aspects of land management for water quality and quantity.

Objective 4
To encourage better use of evaluation tools within the land-grant university system by applying the community capitals framework and the indicators of public good to a regional system.

Objective 5
To create an organization that can effectively advocate for and support the land-grant university’s role in community and economic development by analyzing key issues, creating bridging opportunities between the Center and others, innovation, collaboration, convening, and communications.