Principles of Good Practice
Fundamentally, our work is guided by the Principles of Good Practice put forth by the Community Development Society:
- Promote active and representative participation toward enabling all community members to meaningfully influence the decisions that affect their lives.
- Engage community members in learning about and understanding community issues and the economic, social, environmental, political, psychological and other impacts associated with alternative courses of action.
- Incorporate the diverse interests and cultures of the community in the community development process and disengage from support of any effort that is likely to adversely affect the disadvantaged members of a community.
- Work actively to enhance the leadership capacity of community members, leaders and groups within the community.
- Be open to using the full range of action strategies to work toward the long-term sustainability and well-being of the community.
Logic Models
Our work is rooted in the best practice of using logic models for Extension program planning, implementation and evaluation. While specific Extension programs have their own logic models, these thematic area logic models serve as our overarching framework:
- Leadership & Civic Engagement
- Community & Organizational Planning
- Business & Economic Development
- Local Government Education
- Quality Places
Professional Organizations
To remain abreast of new research findings and innovative programs in the community and economic development area, Purdue Extension community development faculty, specialists and educators are actively engaged in one or both of the following professional organizations.
National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP)
NACDEP is an organization dedicated to improving the visibility, coordination, professional status and resource base of community and economic development Extension programs and professionals.
- Become a member
- Present your work at annual conference
- Receive recognition through the NACDEP awards program
- Network with colleagues using the member portal
Community Development Society (CDS)
The Community Development Society provides leadership to professionals and citizens across the spectrum of community development. Members have multiple opportunities to learn what’s new in the profession, exchange ideas, obtain the most current research and reference information available and share professional expertise.
- Become a member
- Present your work at annual conference
- Receive recognition through the CDS awards program
- Submit or learn from cutting edge research
Awards and Recognition
You are encouraged to submit applications for awards on behalf of yourself or your colleagues in recognition of positive impact made in a community. View awards available to Purdue Extension Community Development program educators.
Archive of Web-Based CD Training Programs
The Community Development training sessions showcased in this section are intended to strengthen the knowledge, skills and application of basic and intermediate community and economic development principles by our Extension educators and other practitioners (such as USDA RD – Indiana staff).
2019 IN Work Training Webinar
IN Work represents one of the key investments made by Dr. Henderson as a result of more than 20 community forums held across the state in 2015. A dedicated team of Extension educators and external curriculum specialist produced a quality product that is now being used by Extension educators, especially those with 4-H youth program responsibilities. In recent months, a small core team has been working on re-branding the curriculum and expanding its use by other Extension program areas. The new title for the program (and curriculum) will be Work Ready: Skills for Tomorrow (and Today’s) Workforce. Educators who currently facilitate the curriculum briefly review each module, share best practices, review the evaluation expectations, discuss the changes coming to the curriculum, and have a question and answer time.
2017 Rural Indiana Stats Website
Presented by Bo Beaulieu and Indraneel Kumar, Purdue Purdue Center for Regional Development, and Larry DeBoer, Professor of Agricultural Economics at Purdue, This webinar provides an overview of the new Rural Indiana Stats website.
Rural Indiana Stats is designed to provide individuals, leaders, organizations and agencies with access to a basic set of data that can used to guide and inform their program and investment activities. While the site is not intended to provide a full array of data items available at the county level, it is designed to offer users ready access to a core set of statistical data on Indiana’s 92 counties.
These include information on the socioeconomic, housing, and the fiscal attributes of each county. An added benefit of the site is the typologies that are available to determine the geographic classification of Indiana’s 92 counties, such as their metropolitan or nonmetropolitan status.
2016 Conducting Focus Group Meetings
Presented by Bo Beaulieu, Purdue University Extension Community Development Program Leader, this webinar discusses the following topics:
- What’s a Focus Group?
- Six Features of A Focus Group Interview
- Advantages & Limitations of Focus Group Interviews
- Process for Conducting Focus Group Meetings
2014-15 Community Development Webinar Training Series
- The Community Capitals Framework
- Developing Goals and Metrics
- Approaches to Community Development
- Needs and Assets
- County Typologies
- Fostering Inclusiveness
- Sustainable Development
2015 USDA-RD Training
- What Makes Your Community Tick?
- Community Economics
- Community Development Approaches
- The Community Capitals Framework
- From Needs to Outcomes
- Sustainable Development