The first time Amy Lehman and Bobbi Schmidt attended an Energize conference, they were overwhelmed. They spent the entire five-hour drive from Milbank back to White River talking about what they’d learned.
“We didn’t know where to start,” Schmidt said.
That was in 2021. Over the next year, they discussed how they could apply their newfound knowledge to White River. They returned to Energize the following year in Fort Pierre. During an ice cream break, they decided to sign up for another of Community Vitality’s signature programs, Marketing Hometown America. By that fall, they were rolling – and they haven’t stopped.
“Attending these conferences has changed our perspective for the future of our community," Lehman said. “I would love it if everyone in our town could attend one of these.”
Hosted in a different South Dakota town of 5,000 or fewer people each year, Energize is an opportunity for community and business leaders to gather, gain new perspectives and share ideas about revitalizing rural communities.
A walking conference, it encourages attendees to get to know the host community by holding breakout sessions at various locations around town. Through those breakout sessions, attendees get ample opportunity to interact with business owners and other community members.
The design fits well within the asset-based approach to community development that SDSU Extension uses across its research-based tools and programs.
“It’s a lot easier to solve challenges if you use the assets you have available,” said Peggy Schlechter, SDSU Extension Community Vitality Program Director.
A growing event, 131 people attended the 2024 conference in Hot Springs, traveling an average distance of 436 miles round-trip. Previous conferences were hosted by Wessington Springs, De Smet, Lemmon, Milbank and Fort Pierre. The 2025 conference will be in Platte.
The conference kicks off with a keynote speaker who is a champion of small, rural communities in another part of the country. Breakout sessions are led by community and business leaders from small, rural communities on everything from community fundraising to arts to agritourism. They share their success stories and the challenges they met along the way.
Host communities also get to showcase their local food, arts and entertainment through catered refreshment breaks and an evening social. Resource partners can set up booths and network throughout the conference.
“It’s a great conference, I think, for people that have dreams for their community,” Schlechter said. “They know what their community can be, or maybe they have dreams but don’t know exactly what to do – here are some ideas.”
One of Energize’s main objectives is to stimulate local economies by bringing visitors to South Dakota’s small communities. Based on what attendees spent on food/drink, shopping, fuel and lodging, the 2024 conference brought between $34,000-$40,000 to Hot Springs over two days.
Schlechter added that of the people who participated in a post-conference survey, 83% said they were able to bring additional money into their communities based on things they learned at Energize and 85% said the conference gave them opportunities to build relationships outside of their organization or community.
“When we started Energize, what we really wanted was a place where rural communities could join together and share what they’re doing that might help other people in rural communities,” Schlechter said. “When I see impacts like this, it means it is doing what we want it to do.”
Additionally, 56% of responders said they will make changes based on what they learned at Energize; 86% said they will recommend it to others; 78% said they learned about business and community resources; and 75% said it inspired new ways for their community to foster economic growth.
What makes Energize so special, Schlechter and participants agree, is its location in the small communities it champions. About 89% of participants rank that as extremely valuable, and 88% rank holding breakout sessions in local businesses as extremely valuable.
In 2024, Lehman and Schmidt came full circle by hosting a breakout session about the work they’re doing in White River, hoping to inspire other communities. Energize White River!, the committee they formed during the Marketing Hometown America process, is now an official nonprofit, 4501c3.
Dedicated volunteers have organized community cleanups, built a new city website, started a street market, started or expanded several community events and installed new “Welcome to White River signs”. Growing seasonal festivals include a Fourth of July celebration, Fall Festival, holiday fair and a parade of lights.
“Things just keep happening,” Lehman said. “If you ask, people help. They’re volunteering as well. There’s just a lot of support.”
Like the 76% of attendees who said they would like to attend Energize again, Lehman and Schmidt are committed to returning to Energize every year. As they continue to build in their community’s positive momentum, they hope to bring others along.
“We cannot wait to come back every year,” Schmidt said.
