Apprenticeship America CEO Christian Gray had the IRDC Zoominar microphone on August 30 to talk about workforce, apprenticeships and young workers. Here is the link to watch the Zoom recording, Here is the Passcode: *38dC+=T The slide deck can be found HERE!!
Building and sustaining small towns and rural areas seems like a straightforward endeavor. It can be complicated by remote location, sparse populations, limited access to equity, broadband or health care or other factors. In fact, the biggest barrier to rural development and small-town viability is a lack of local leadership.... Read More →
The Iowa Rural Development Council’s (IRDC) Rural Business Initiative is seeking to fund projects that support small businesses, through guidance and grant dollars. This round’s funding is provided by grant dollars from the Wells Fargo Foundation. The online application can be found at https://iowardc.org/entrepreneurship/ Applications must align with one of... Read More →
The July 26 IRDC Zoominar on the Wapello County Youth Community Co-Designer Pre-Apprenticeship Program is available for viewing. Presenters Krista Tedrow, Diana Dominguez and Michael Rodriguez talked about the program designed to train, and pay youth as consultants to co-design systems through social change initiatives, enhancing leadership skills and job... Read More →
The June 2024 IRDC Zoominar featured a fascinating overview of wealth creation and strategic value-chain development from Melissa Levy of WealthWorks using tools from the National Association of Development Organization (NADO) and their wealth creation platform. The recording of the Zoominar can be found by clicking HERE. The passcode to access... Read More →
The February installment of the IRDC Zoominar series featured David Schmitz and Jon Berg of the Iowa Arts Council, who discussed the recent transition of programs under the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs into their new home at the Iowa Economic Development Authority. David and Jon provided some context, as... Read More →
AMES, IOWA – Registration is open for the 8th annual Iowa Rural Summit, to be held April 11-12 at the Gateway Hotel & Conference Center, Ames IA. Past years’ gatherings of leaders from rural communities from across the state have drawn crowds of almost 400. Rural communities are once again being... Read More →
The University of Iowa’s Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities had its moment in the IRDC Zoominar spotlight on 1.26.24. Associate Professor Travis Kraus talked about the program and shared examples of communities that have benefited from the insights of UI faculty and students. Although no recording of the Zoominar is... Read More →
The November 2024 IRDC Zoominar featured a look inside the almost-one-year-old Iowa Nonprofit Alliance. INA Director Bethany Snyder shared background into the development of a statewide association of non-profits in Iowa – a structure that states like Illinois and Minnesota have had for decades. More than 50 IRDC members –... Read More →
Samantha Dahlby, Director of K-12 Education for NewBoCo presented at the October IRDC Zoominar. The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo) has a mission to accelerate world-changing ideas, from Iowa. NewBoCo’s programming supports entrepreneurship, innovation, and tech education to help Iowans become more resilient and thrive in a changing economy. NewBoCo’s K–12... Read More →
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