Community & Economic Development: University of Illinois Extension

Programs and Resources

Our programs help individuals and organizations access the tools, training, and planning they need to strengthen and improve their businesses and their communities.

Meet the Community and Economic Development Team

UPCOMING PROGRAMS & EVENTS

SEPT 23 | 8AM

Attend the USDA North Central IL Prosperity Summit online. Learn new ways to aid in building rural resiliency through the lens of Broadband Access; Food Supply and Security and Workforce Development.

SEPT 30 | 2020 CENSUS

Make sure your community gets its fair share of federal funding, Raise awareness and encourage census responses from neighbors, family, and friends.

OCT 12 | 7PM

Live webinar - Learn creative strategies for financing your business during the pandemic with Pam Schallhorn, CED Regional Specialist.

NOV 2 | 7 PM

Explore resilient and robust customer service strategies to accommodate challenges faced by business owners in the current environment. Extension joins Champaign Public Library in a live webinar.

RECENTLY RECORDED PROGRAMS

Recognizing and Managing Stress

Racial Equity: Agency-wide Initiatives and Social Service Delivery Programs

Local Government Education: Diversity, Equity and Green Infrastructure

Scaling UP Restaurant Operations: Financial Considerations

Scaling UP Restaurant Operations: Opening Safely

Developing Broadband Leadership: Broadband 101

Developing Broadband Leadership: Digital Inclusion

Fiscal and Economic Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic in Illinois

5 Things Government Officials should know about Disaster Preparedness

Energy Efficiency Policy and Programs in Illinois

Extension Community and Economic Development (Video Clip)

Building Entrepreneurial Communities: Strategies for strengthening local economies.

Sustainable Communities: Connects Illinois communities to University of Illinois scholars and students, bringing the latest research findings to decision-makers, and helping researchers understand and address Illinois' most pressing sustainability challenge.

Campus Engagement in Our Unit: SERVICE and LEARNING provides the greatest potential to influence student development academically and socially.

On Facebook: Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development

Twitter: Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development

Pilot program grant to strengthen Illinois 'Southern Five' rural economies

New report shows UI Extension generates value 10 times its budget

CED Specialists on U.S. Census | Stand Up and Be Counted (SoundCloud)

Census deadline looms; response impacts funding, relief assistance

Extension reminds communities about federal funding for disaster relief

Illinois Extension’s Local Government Education program will welcome Citizen’s Utility Board, Elevate Energy, Ameren, and ComEd in a three-part webinar series on energy efficiency policy and programs

The new North Central Region Water Network report, led by the University of Illinois Extension's Tony Heath and Lisa Merrifield, details how communities and extension professionals can implement GI programs that incorporate both equity and GI goals.

Public Service Motivation - Learn what motivates public servants on August 6 (Local Government Education Webinar)

Local Government Education webinar helps governments apply for state funding to cover COVID-19-related expenditures

Illinois Extension Local Government Education Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) Webinar

Illinois Extension partners with Illinois system Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA) to offer webinar on fiscal and economic impacts of COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois (July 15)

Illinois Extension offers webinar on racial equity in local government (July 16)

Webinar Series on Opening Restaurants during COVID-19 - Scaling UP Illinois Restaurant Operations: Financial Considerations (Part 1)

Scaling UP Illinois Restaurant Operations: Safety Considerations (Part 2)

COVID-19 Response: Local Government Cutback Budgeting Webinar - June 5

Illinois Extension parters with DCEO, Benton Institute, to offer Broadband Leadership Series (May 13 - June 3)

Guidance for local governments on OMA compliance (May 7 LGE Webinar)

What's Next: legal challenges related to COVID-19 for local governments (May 1 LGE Webinar)

Webinar offers best practices for disabilities in workforce development (Apr 23 LGE Webinar)

LGE webinar this Friday Apr 3: COVID-19 update for local officials

Practical community management practices for ticks and mosquitoes (LGE Webinar)

Millions at stake in census; be counted

Organize your community resources when extreme weather hits (Mar 26 LGE Webinar)

Webinar reviews community access to broadband infrastructure funding (Mar 20 LGE Webinar)

Extension Offers Additional Webinars about Connect Illinois Broadband Grant Program (Feb 28)

Illinois Extension CED and DCEO offer webinars to help communities access funding for broadband infrastructure (Feb 14, 21, and 28)

Illinois Extension to provide important webinar on fiscal sustainability for local government officials (Feb 20)

Illinois Extension encourages public agencies to host Illini Science Policy Fellows (Application Deadline: January 31)

Students Learn Value of Shopping Local (Susan Odum)

Did you miss a past webinar in 2019? See our Local Government Education Webinar Archives

Illinois Extension offers programming for coal-dependent communities

Sustainable Communities Site now LIVE!

Local Government Education - News Release for Webinar on 2020 Census

Beyond Coal: Illinois is Just Getting Started

Summer Interns Explore Stormwater Solutions

Illinois Extension is Poised to Offer Flood Recovery and Mitigation Resources

Local Government Education webinar addresses the importance of an accurate count in Counting for Dollars: Census 2020

Handing Off Your Business: The Future of Your Business Without You

Project Rebound Announces Partnership with Galesburg Community Foundation

UI Extension Community and Economic Development: The Community Planning Process with Mercer County, Better Together

Sustainable Communities

Sustainable Communities connects Illinois communities to University of Illinois scholars and students, bringing the latest research findings to decision-makers, and helping researchers understand and address Illinois' most pressing sustainability challenges.

Local Government Education (LGE)

Leadership academies, webinars, and workshops are designed to strengthen the skills and increase the leadership capacity of elected and appointed officials. The webinar series offers timely information on topics that are important to community leaders, decision makers, agency staff, and government officials.

Community Survey Tool

Communities can not only turn to state- and county-level data for decision-making; they can also learn from primary data collected right in their own community. This online tool provides information on how to survey your community, a repository of questionnaire templates that you can edit and modify to meet your needs, and information on where to find secondary data that could also help you think of additional questions to ask your community.

Community Planning

Illinois Extension helps counties and communities develop comprehensive economic development initiatives and engage in participatory planning processes.

Create Bridges

Create Bridges is a two-year pilot program designed to strengthen the economy of a rural, economically distressed region by building capacity in the retail, accommodations, tourism and entertainment sectors.

Building Entrepreneurial Communities

Illinois Extension helps local officials and business leaders create economic development strategies and policies that support entrepreneurs and business development.