Southern Rural Development Center
 

Box 9656
410 Bost Extension Bldg.
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Phone: (662) 325-3207
Fax: (662) 325-8915
http://srdc.msstate.edu

 

 

 

Around the SouthJuly 2007, Vol. 3 No. 7

In this Issue . . .


SRDC Publications

Blueprint for the Rural South SRDC Releases Blueprint for the Rural South: Discovering New Ideas, Applying New Strategies
We are pleased to share with you the Southern Rural Development Center's new strategic plan, an effort that was undertaken with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. This important document, titled Blueprint for the Rural South: Discovering New Ideas, Applying New Strategies, represents the culmination of a process that began over a year ago. Land-grant faculty from across the South worked hand-in-hand with us in capturing the views of nearly 600 Southerners. These important insights were studied, discussed and carefully weighed by our faculty-based advisory committee and our SRDC Board of Directors. The new plan calls for investments in three new priorities. We look forward to joining with our land-grant leaders and faculty, CSREES colleagues, and our key external partners in addressing the major rural development areas that the people of the rural South challenged us to tackle in the next five years. We welcome your thoughts and reactions about our new plan. You can access the report at: http://srdc.msstate.edu/sp/blueprint07.pdf.

 


National Items of Interest

  • Carsey Institute Report Focuses on Rural Children and Health care
    Despite a recent flurry of reports on health insurance coverage for children, virtually none of them have examined the unique situation of rural families where one-fifth of all our nation’s poor children live. This report finds a higher percentage of children in rural areas depend on Medicaid or SCHIP for health insurance than children in urban areas and that the number of rural children relying on public health insurance is on the rise. The full report can be viewed on the Carsey Institute website at http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/documents/RuralChildHealth_final.pdf.

  • EdWeek Offers New District Graduation Rate Map Tool
    EdWeek now offers a new interactive mapping technology that lets you explore high school graduation rate for any school district in the country. Full information can be found on their website at http://www.edweek.org/apps/maps/.

  • Main Street Economist Issue Focuses on Technological Innovation
    This issue of the Main Street Economist focuses on the power of technological innovation in rural America. The article explores how innovation can boost rural prosperity in three ways: by creating new products, improving production processes, and opening doors to new markets. The article also discusses some of the federal policies that support technological adoption in rural America. Read the article online at http://www.kc.frb.org/RegionalAffairs/Mainstreet/MSE_0707.pdf.

  • NCRCRD Announces Fall Series for "Foundations of Practice--Understanding Communities and their Dynamics"
    The North Central Community Development program leaders recognize the increasing need for Extension professionals to have basic knowledge and skills in the processes, tools and techniques of community development work. To address this need, a conceptual framework has been developed to provide a common language and understanding of community development work. Referred to as the Foundations of Practice: Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals, this framework was developed by a national team and presented at the inaugural National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals conference in February 2005. It is composed of three major components: (1) Understanding Communities and their Dynamics, (2) Developing Successful Community Initiatives, and (3) Areas of Specialization and Emphasis. To find out more or for registration information, visit http://www.ncrcrd.iastate.edu/projects/corecomp/.


Funding Opportunities

  • SRDC's Grant Connections: Rural Development Funding Opportunities
    Volume 9, Number 5, June 2007
    http://srdc.msstate.edu/funding/june07.htm

    The SRDC staff compiles Grant Connections primarily for the faculty of land-grant colleges and universities in the South to provide funding information in support of activities in agricultural economics, education, human sciences, rural sociology, youth development, and other related disciplines.


SRDC Sponsored Conferences & Trainings


Other Conferences & Trainings


People in the News

  • 1890 Association of Research Directors has announced that Carolyn Brooks will be their new Executive
    Director, beginning July 1. Carolyn is currently the experiment station director at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD.

  • Steven Leath, associate dean for research and director of the NC Agricultural Research Service at North Carolina State University, has been named vice president for research of the multi-campus University of North Carolina system: http://www.northcarolina.edu/content.php/pres/news/releases/pr2007/20070703_leath.htm

  • John Wheat, University of Alabama, honored with the 2007 Distinguished Educator Award from the National Rural Health Association at its annual meeting in Anchorage, AK, this past May.

Job Opportunities


Submit Announcements

Job announcements and other items of interest may be sent to Rachel Welborn, rachelw@srdc.msstate.edu, for possible inclusion in future issues.


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Some photos on this page
courtesy of USDA NRCS.

  

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