BOONE, Iowa—The City of Boone is sponsoring the program, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach of Boone County will help with registration, facilitation and materials distribution. Abbie Gaffey, ISU Extension and Outreach Community Development Specialist will lead the participants through the process.

“I believe this program has great potential for Boone in a number of different areas,” said Boone City Council Member Greg Piklapp. “It can help build local partnerships and help showcase our community to people that may be looking for a new place to call home. It can also remind longtime residents of our community’s benefits. These strengths might be taken for granted because we are so used to them, but they are unique only to Boone and can help grow our hometown.”

Boone will be the third community in the state to participate in the program delivered by ISU Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development. Rural communities in Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota have also been part of the program.

People who participate in the program will:
• Learn what new residents are looking for as they relocate to a rural community;
• Discover often overlooked local assets that attract potential new residents;
• Understand the importance of local family and friend referrals and the positive image that can be projected through a community web site and social media;
• Learn and practice the skills of positive community dialogue to increase involvement and confidence in their ability to market their community;
• Build and implement a marketing action plan that incorporates realistic and achievable actions to successfully market their community: and
• Increase the community’s human capacity and confidence in using the dialogue approach to address future community issues.

The process includes a facilitator training where the program goals are shared with selected leaders from various community groups. Small groups are then formed and led by these locally trained facilitators. Participants are given a community guide that provides background information, discussion questions and activities.

Each small group holds a series of four meetings to draft a marketing plan and identify activities they could do in the community to help make themselves more marketable. Each group reports back at an open community forum where everyone votes on their favorite pieces of the proposed plans and activities and has an opportunity to volunteer to help or lead one of the future actions.

“It helps a community with decisions on how to market themselves to potential new residents. When new residents find a good community “match”, they stay and everyone benefits – the new residents, the current citizens and the community as a whole,” according to Gaffey.

Those interested in learning more about the program should contact Alex Merk with ISU Extension and Outreach at alexmerk@iastate.edu or 515-432-3882.

(contributed article and photo, ISU Extension and Outreach)