The Federal Reserve Bank and Economic Development: Pathways to Partnerships

Skill Building

Rural communities are facing serious challenges to their community sustainability and economic vitality. Increasingly, local leadership is called upon to face these challenges in new and creative ways. "Building Entrepreneurial Communities" presents an overview of pro-active, entrepreneurial strategies, tools and resources that local communities can use to expand local opportunities.

Goals of this workshop offered several times in the past year include: 1.Define entrepreneurship and relate the concept to both individual enterprises and communities. 2. Identify specific strategies for creating entrepreneurial responses to community needs. 3. Identify and access knowledge and tools to enhance entrepreneurial behavior.

The effort has been co-sponsored by the Oklahoma City Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. Several statewide and regional sessions have been held. One highlight of the program has involved including a panel of successful community leaders who relate their local entrepreneurial efforts.

Presenters at NACDEP will provide materials, agendas, resources, and lessons learned so others may implement such a program back home.