Contact: Leah Barbour
Photo by: Beth Wynn
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Officials at Mississippi State are inviting Magnolia State community leaders to participate in a two-and-a-half day interactive workshop designed to enhance skills for addressing common municipal issues and challenges.
Registration for the 2013 YourTown workshop continues through Wednesday [April 24].
Taking place May 15-17 at Lake Tiak O'Khata in Louisville, the workshop has up to 36 seats available for interested municipal officials, chamber of commerce and economic development representatives, and local volunteers.
YourTown registration may be completed via the "Programs" link at http://www.sig.msstate.edu.
Now in its fourth year being sponsored by the university, the YourTown training program is organized by MSU's John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development.
"We bring local community activists together to take a broader look at what economic development is and how they can enhance economic development efforts in their towns," said Joe Fratesi, project director.
"We'll cover a variety of topics, from planning to historic preservation to downtown revitalization, arts and culture, and natural resources so they can see how the local community can utilize these avenues to make it better," he added.
Research associate Jeremy Murdock said participants will learn about asset-based development from a variety of planning and design experts.
Sessions will be led by representatives of the Mississippi Arts Commission, Mississippi Development Authority and Mississippi Department of Archives and History, among others.
"Engagement, partnership, collaboration: We're here to engage local communities and provide them access to the resources here on campus -- faculty, staff and students -- to help them enhance economic development," Fratesi said. "We're engaging communities to show them how to make themselves better products by partnering."
After YourTown participants apply the concepts they've learned in hands-on exercises, they will conclude with group presentations to share what they've learned from the training.
YourTown is an approved training course for Mississippi Main Street managers and Certified Local Government Required Training for historic preservation commissions.
Also, Mississippi Municipal League members may receive three elective credits for participation.
"We'll have a collection of resource personnel in one room at the same time; it's a huge benefit to the people who come," Murdock said. "We focus on what every small-town community in Mississippi sees, has seen or will see."
For more information, contact Fratesi at 662-325-6703 or joe@sig.msstate.edu.