Community Development
Community development is the process of helping a community strengthen itself and develop towards its full potential.
Extension helps Wisconsin residents, organizations, and communities deal with their own unique challenges and opportunities by providing a variety of educational programs, research, and resources to address local issues.
Backed by University of Wisconsin research, the Community Development educator works with local government, community organizations, business, and community leaders to enhance local decision-making and help communities respond strategically to new challenges and opportunities. Our mission is to strengthen people’s ability to identify and solve community problems through education, community participation, and unbiased information–empowering residents to make informed decisions to result in better communities.
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Michelle Grimm serves Taylor County as the Community Resource Development Agent
Michelle Grimm serves Taylor County as a Community Extension Educator with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension. She partners with local leaders, organizations, and residents to strengthen communities and address emerging needs. Using a collaborative data-informed approach, Michelle helps groups plan, build capacity, and make informed decisions. She is also involved with Wisconsin Nonprofit Connect to Learn.
Michelle helps organizations and groups in Taylor County:
- Facilitate conversations that encourage participation and community engagement.
- Build stronger networks and connect to partners and resources.
- Develop strategies to increase resilience and adapt to change.
- Grow and develop engaged leaders.
- Organize the community garden and support local food systems.
Michelle can also serve as a liaison to access other Extension programming and resources, including support for economic development, local government, food systems, and cooperatives.
HAVE A QUESTION?
To learn more about community development programming and the role Extension plays in Taylor County, contact Michelle Grimm, Community Resource Development Agent, Extension Taylor County at (715) 748-1494 or michelle.grimm@wisc.edu