Customized Planning

Planning is the key to realizing community goals.

Illinois Extension can facilitate important strategy sessions to enhance community engagement to get the results you need. Using effective meeting processes and multipurpose tools, we can help people work together in positive and productive ways. Our trained facilitators will help your group voice all ideas, reach consensus, and organize information and ideas for action planning, project implementation, and decision-making. Facilitator training offers participants tools, hands-on practice, and skills to take back to their organization and community. We also provide facilitation services for strategic, comprehensive, organizational or community planning meetings and public hearings.

Select one of the buttons below to see how Extension can assist your community in reaching its goals!

We offer customized planning assistance

Logo for Create Bridges

Create Bridges

The program promotes and strengthens retail, accommodations, tourism, and entertainment sectors, particularly in rural, economically distressed areas.

Produce in store

Grocery Surveys

Here are examples of how Illinois counties are working with Extension to address the issue of grocery store closings.

Diverse group of young people

Reversing the Exodus

Rural communities in Illinois continue to lose their youngest and brightest talent. Learn about strategies that can assist in retaining and attracting young adults back to rural communities.

Building strong communities

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Buy Local

Buy Local campaigns can help keep consumer spending, jobs and tax revenues in your community.

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Developing a Creative Economy

Learn how one rural Illinois community is developing a creative based economy.

Tunnel Hill State Trail - permissions SITB

Rural Tourism Development

Developing and strategically marketing rural tourism has been shown to foster entrepreneurship, job creation, and cultural revival.

Downtown Centralia IL at night courtesy of the Centralia Chamber of Commerce

Revitalizing Downtown Centers

Find strategies and resources that rural communities can utilize to develop vibrant downtowns that mimic the appeal of city centers.

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Disaster Mitigation Planning

Are you prepared for the unexpected? Illinois Extension has been helping communities plan for and recover from disaster for years.