Community and Economic Development
Recommended Content
Energize!
The Energize! Exploring Innovative Rural Communities Conference is designed to empower South Dakota’s rural communities by inviting them to network with community leaders from across the state to share success stories, get new ideas and take action to improve their own communities.
Marketing Hometown America
Marketing Hometown America empowers communities to create a vision to attract new residents. Designed as a tool to create dialogue that moves people toward action, the process can be the spark to help a rural community look at itself in a new way.
Writing Your Future: Grant Writing Training
Often community or organizational programs need capital to get them off the ground. Our Writing Your Future grant writing training can be the start to finding that initial investment.
All Community and Economic Development Content
SDSU Extension welcomes new Community Vitality Field Specialist
November 24, 2025
South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to welcome Dacia Hilkemeier as a new Community Vitality Field Specialist.
Community
Resources to support communities, organizations, leaders and businesses.
Energize Conference
SDSU Extension will host the next annual Energize conference on May 6–7, 2026, in Wall, South Dakota.
Healthy Landscapes Healthy Communities Pilot Program: Looking back and moving forward in year two
Now in its second year, Healthy Landscapes Healthy Communities provides communities across the state with an opportunity to envision vibrant public spaces through an engaged planning and design effort.
Creating a Virtuous Cycle of Grant Writing
Creating a virtuous cycle of grant writing can lead to a cycle of reinvestment and expansion within your community, allowing you to create new programs, reach new populations, and increase your capacity and impact, fueling your next cycle of success.
The State of Local News in South Dakota: Challenges, Innovation, and Opportunities
Years of research across various academic fields have extolled the importance of local newspapers and highlighted the positive impacts they have. Yet, local newspapers are in decline in many towns across the US.
SDSU Extension co-hosting 2025 South Dakota Local Foods Conference
September 09, 2025
South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to partner with Dakota Rural Action, the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition, McCrory Gardens at SDSU and members of the South Dakota Local Foods Coalition to present the 2025 Local Foods Conference.
Energize! Through the Years
The Energize! conference is hosted annually and focuses on bringing community leaders and business owners together to share their experiences and knowledge on a variety of topics proved to be powerful as groups learned from each other.
SDSU Extension experts to attend 2025 Dakotafest
August 06, 2025
South Dakota State University Extension experts will attend the 2025 Dakotafest trade show in Mitchell, providing educational resources and hands-on activities for a variety of topics.
Why Third Places Are Vital to Rural Communities
From community centers to small businesses, third places are social spaces outside of one’s home that support connection, economic growth, and civic engagement in rural communities.