UMN Extension Community Development

09/18/2026

Extension is partnering with College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University to help Intercultural LEAD scholars develop skills for addressing complex issues on campus and in their communities. Leadership and civic engagement educator Ellen Wolter is helping adapt Extension's Gathering the Village leadership program for students, encouraging them to think creatively, work collectively, and effect meaningful change.

The Intercultural LEAD program is partnering with the University of Minnesota Department of Community Development for six sessions over the course of the 2026-27 academic year.

09/17/2026

📌 New to leading meetings? Or want to become a better facilitator and meeting participant? If so, our four-part series on growing your facilitation skills is for you! Registration is now open for our upcoming course.

New to leading meetings? Do you want to be a better facilitator and improve your meetings? Take our four-part online course and boost your skills.

09/16/2026

🎙 Part 2 of last week's Side by Side episode is now live! In the second part of host Ellen Wolter's conversation with Hiroshima University professors Simona Zolett and Meng "Mo" Qu, they explore Japan's Local Revitalization Cooperator Program, an initiative that brings urban residents to live and work in Japan’s depopulating rural communities.
https://z.umn.edu/SidebySideZollet_Meng

09/15/2026

What uses the most power in your house? Join our Breakfast Info Bites webinar tomorrow morning to find out! The Clean Energy Resource Teams will explain how to best manage your home utility bills—and maximize your comfort across all Minnesota seasons.

Learn what uses the most power in your house, find available rebates, and discover some low-cost ways to stay comfortable in every season.

09/14/2026

📢 Are you passionate about engaging with communities to strengthen local leadership? The Department of Community Development is hiring a leadership and civic engagement educator! The position is responsible for translating research into responsive training and resources, building community partnerships, using data and impact assessments to guide and improve programs, and pursuing strategic partnerships and funding opportunities. For more info and to apply, visit z.umn.edu/LCE2026.

09/10/2026

🎙 What is the relationship between Japan's rural and urban communities in a super (super) aging society? In the latest episode of our Side by Side podcast, we talk with Hiroshima University professors Simona Zollet and Meng "Mo" Qu about community revitalization in rural Japan amid rapid aging, depopulation, and urbanization—and the dynamics between Japan's rural and urban areas. https://z.umn.edu/SidebySideZolletandMeng

09/08/2026

Extension educators played a key role in a community-driven housing initiative that received national recognition for helping rural communities address the housing needs of older adults.

Educators' expertise helps a rural community move a critical housing project for adults 55 and older from ideation to reality.

09/04/2026

We can't wait for this month's Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities conference in St. Joseph, and we're so grateful to the sponsors that made it possible. Initiative Foundation, College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, Greater St. Cloud, Great River Energy Compeer Financial
(Haven't registered yet? There's still time! Visit z.umn.edu/CEC2026.)

09/03/2026

🏠 The housing shortage across rural Minnesota also creates a labor shortage—making it harder to recruit new residents. Join us Thursday, Sept. 10 to hear more about the dynamics related to moving in, moving out, and moving over as it relates to active living and workforce housing. https://z.umn.edu/bji1

09/02/2026

🎙️ Season three of Extension's Side by Side podcast is here! In our latest episode, host Ellen Wolter talks with Minneapolis-based documentary photographer Drew Arrieta and Springboard for the Arts rural director Michele Anderson about the Art of Rural-Urban Solidarity project.
https://z.umn.edu/SidebySideArrietaandAnderson