Part 1. Goals and NarrativeCCurriculum Plans.

C/P Team Name

Family & Community Resources and Economic Development

C/P Co-Chair Names

Lois Frey & Cathy Halbrendt

C/P Team Mission

To enhance economic opportunities and the quality of life among families and communities.

Narrative: Justification or Rationale

Situation Statement: Studies indicate a number of problems ranging from declining levels of voter participation and public apathy toward elections to decreasing interest in volunteer activities and community groups. They also document the younger generation=s apparent disinterest in public affairs and lack of knowledge about our political system. Robert Putnam has quantified this civic disengagement, documenting a 25-30 year decline in membership in civic-oriented organizations. He notes that since 1993, the number of Americans who report that in the past year they have attended a public meeting on town or school affaires has fallen by more than a third. Change is inevitable. For many rural Vermont communities, the type of change during the last 15 to 20 years was not favorable. While jobs based on land and natural resources declined, the cost of living in rural areas increased. Rural communities which have survived and prospered have some things in common. In these towns, local efforts are fueled by a positive attitude and guided by a shared vision for the future. They promote open discussion of community needs, opportunities, and ideas in a non-judgmental atmosphere that leads to inclusive decision-making.

Strong families contribute to positive individual development and quality communities. Education, highlighting communication skills and decision-making tools, empowers individuals and families to apply practices that result in increased capacity and enhanced well-being. Family and community related research can provide a strong knowledge base for educating parents, consumers, children and youth, policy-makers, agencies and organizations.

C/P Educational Goal(s)

1. To increase the capacity of communities, families and individuals to improve their own quality of life.

2. To increase the capacity of communities and families to enhance their own economic development.

C/P Prioritized Goals and Objectives

1. 1 Civic Capacity

1. 2 Parent Education

2. 1 Community-based Economic Development

2. 2 Family-based Financial Management

Curriculum Foci: Major Programs and Activities

1.1 Build civic capacity by providing strategies & tools to effectively engage citizens in public work through a variety of leadership education programs including Partners in Community Leadership, Town Government Program, Community Leadership Program, SPACES, Collaboration Framework Training, Volunteer Leadership Training including 4-H.

1.2 Provide parent education to help parents learn to work together around their children=s issues, to manage their hostility, to communicate more effectively, and to better meet their children=s needs. Programs include: Helping Children Cope with Divorce, Strengthen Families Program, Parenting Skills Workshop Series including Active Parenting, Babysitting Safety, and Roller Coasters, Strengthen Families Program, and Parent Share Program.

2.1 Community-based economic development assistance will address the management of fiscal and community resources to enhance the ability of individuals, families and community leaders to make effective economic and business decisions. Programs include Take Charge, ReCharge, Workforce Preparedness & Career Development, Life Skills for Employability.

2.2 Family-based financial management using financial management skills to increase the financial well-being or fitness of individuals and families with education money management programs such as Tangible Assets Program, Welfare Simulation Exercise, and Money 2000.

Ties to Experiment Station Research and Teaching

Collaborations with faculty, student interns and graduate students from the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics are resources for building linkages to teaching, research and extension. The community offers a living laboratory for exploration. 

Key Collaborators

Collaborators include: Vermont Family Court, Expanding Caring Communities Project, National Network for Collaboration, Northeast Kingdom Initiative of AmeriCorps, VT Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation, VT Anti Hunger Corps, McConnell Project, Local Officials of Selected Communities, the Vermont Institute for Government & 4H Volunteer Leaders.