CED

Through the Community Swap program, a team of local residents visit a similar community, incognito and unannounced. During their visit, team members use an assessment guide to take notes that will help them to provide honest and constructive comments about the community to the people who live there. A reciprocal visit takes place by the partner community. The information these teams gather, and the impressions they form, is the basis for a series of community meetings. Newman and Villa Grove participated in community swaps with Findlay and Nokomis this past year. Suggestions made from the teams will be used to make improvements to the communities.

The Tuscola Economic Development Board & the Douglas County Strategic Planning committee have been working with University of Illinois Extension Educators in Community and Economic Development on developing Strategic Plans. Strategic Planning is the setting of long term goals and objectives, the outline of a course of action and an allocation of resources. For community development, strategic planning becomes equally important to allow the community to formulate a vision, identify a mission and set goals to determine their future. A clear and practical strategy will ensure the community a simple and powerful plan for the future.