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Deliverable Programs and Services

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The Center for Small Towns is a community outreach program housed at the University of Minnesota, Morris and serves as a point-of-entry to the resources of the University of Minnesota. Small towns, local units of government, K-12 schools, non-profit organizations, and other University units are able to utilize the Center's talents and resources as they work on rural issues and make contributions to rural society. The mission of the Center is to focus the University's attention and marshal its resources toward assisting Minnesota's small towns with locally identified issues by creating applied learning opportunities for faculty and students. The following is a list of program areas of the Center along with brief descriptions of the services offered:

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT
Students at UMM are involved in all of the Center's program components and can provide organizations with valuable, specialized, low-cost assistance with a wide variety of projects. Examples of the types of activities provided by students in previous activities include: applied research, coordination of programs or projects, resource assessments, and promotional writings. Students can be involved through paid employment, internships, directed studies, or volunteer activities.

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Staff at the Center along with UMM faculty can help communities, organizations, and schools move forward with a vision. This is done through community development techniques such as group development, mission determination, conflict management, goal setting, consensus building, and leadership development.

PROGRAM EVALUATION
Program evaluation is provided to organizations to measure program/process outcomes, determine the value of their operational programs, and provide recommendations for structural changes. The Center staff - along with UMM faculty - will assist groups in creating evaluation plans to assess the design, implementation and impact of program activities. Staff will also work with groups in need of developing a proposal for grant or loan applications to ensure the involvement of an integrated evaluation component.

DATA ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH
Historical census and other data provide information for grant applications, community planning, or general knowledge. The Center is an affiliate member of the Minnesota Data Center network, which provides access to U.S. Census Bureau data and publications. Data about city and township growth, population, housing, income, retail sales, agriculture, education, and ethnicity is available upon request. Projections can also be provided for selected variables.

Mapping community data services are available to assist organizations to visually represent selected variables. Geographic Information System (GIS) software will be utilized to provide another avenue of displaying and interpreting data about the community, county or region. This includes the analysis of selected trends for demographics, economic, cultural, and social variables.

Research assistance is provided to organizations that are confronted with a problem that requires an unknown solution. This consultative process includes defining/refining the problem, selecting an appropriate method to solve the problem, gathering and analyzing data, and reporting of the results.

Survey design assistance is provided as a tool to measure attitudes, reactions, feelings, opinions, and/or preferences as they relate to community infrastructure, the social aspects of communities, or current events. Our staff together with UMM faculty will work with clients to create surveys and administer them through the mail, telephone, or Internet. Additionally, the collection, analysis, and reporting of results can be achieved.

Data analysis can be completed when an organization has already collected data that needs to be examined scientifically. Statistical models will be built and the data will be interpreted to meet the customized needs of the organization.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Computer training is available to local units of government and non-profit organizations. Training materials in computer use, word processing, spreadsheet, database, and Internet provide a basis for advanced techniques such as budgeting, mailing lists, inventories, and e-commerce. Students typically provide this on-site training.

Website creation students provide the creative technical expertise to design, build, and implement a web site. Training is also being provided to ensure the site is updated in a professional and timely manner.

BROKERING RESOURCES
By cooperating with other units across the University of Minnesota and with state and national organizations involved in community and rural development, the Center connects people to needed information and services. The Center provides assistance by involving faculty, students, staff and programs in the time, and place, that provides maximum impact.

CONVERSATION SERIES
This is an on-going activity where the Center collaborates with community and rural development groups and governmental organizations to offer current information on important topics through a round table discussion format. Contact us with your ideas and suggestions.

SYMPOSIUM ON SMALL TOWNS
The symposium series is an annual event designed to increase understanding about small towns and celebrate rural living. Leaders, practioners, and citizens convene in this creative atmosphere to reflect on histories, share happenings, and look to the future.