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Creating a Value-Added Community
 "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
~Confucious
RTC is implementing a new and exciting training opportunity for communities in Minnesota. We will be conducting a new, community-based training called, Creating a Value-Added Community (CVAC) to communities across Minnesota.
Creating a Value-Added Community (CVAC) was designed to help communities develop strategies for poverty reduction, while planning for economic development.
CVAC’s program materials are modeled after business planning guides and manuals; they focus on reducing poverty, creating wealth, and building community capacity. They introduce and define community development concepts, and provide worksheets and tools to help users adapt these concepts to local needs.
The CVAC process is aimed at helping rural communities find practical ways to build capacity and fuel their economic engines toward a vibrant local economy. The purpose of the CVAC process is to help community residents understand that addressing poverty issues is good business for the entire community. Guiding the community’s economic future through the appropriate use of value-added capacities enhances the economic and social well-being of the community.
Contact Christy James at christy@rtcinfo.org or 612-963-0467 for more information about how your community can receive the Creating a Value-Added Community training.
Outline of CVAC Chapters:
Chapter 1
Getting Started: Introduction to CVAC
ª The Five Value-Added Capacities
ª The Four Value-Added Outcomes
ª Possible Goals of your Community CVAC Team
ª The Mission Statement
Chapter 2
Inclusive Decision-Making: Broadening the Reach of Community Planning and Development
ª What is a Community?
ª Development in the Community
ª Inclusivity
ª Recruiting Residents for the CVAC Team
Chapter 3
Gathering Data: An Introduction to Community Research
ª Basic and Applied Research
ª Community Research
ª Primary and Secondary Sources of Information
ª Tools of Primary Research
Chapter 4
Economic Engines: Identifying Engines that Create Value
ª Definition of Economic Engines
ª Steps to Building Economic Engines
ª Sustainability
Chapter 5
Building Capacity: Understanding Community Skills, Information, and Connections
ª Building Community Capacity ª Overview of the Community Capitals Framework
ª Investment in One Capital Results in Multiple Outcomes
ª Four Community Capacities
Chapter 6
Asset Development: Identifying and Understanding Social Assets
ª Building Community: Asset-based or Needs-based?
ª Social Assets
ª Identifying Community Assets Through Asset Mapping
Chapter 7
Asset Development: Identifying and Understanding Your Community’s Physical Assets
ª Physical Assetsª Asset Mapping Using the Community Capitals Framework (Natural Capital, Political Capital, Financial Capital & Built Capital)
ª Connecting Economic Development and Physical Assets
Chapter 8
Tourism As An Economic Engine
ª Why Tourism is Important to Rural America
ª Community-Based Tourismª Cultural Heritage Tourism
ª Scenic and Historic Byways Tourism
ª Outdoor Recreation Tourismª
Chapter 9
Sources of Capital: Investing In the Social and Physical Assets of the Community
ª Understanding Community Investmentª Sources of Community Development Funding
ª Self-Reliant Sources of Community Development Funding
ª Financing Small Business Growth
ª Local Communities Create Financing Strategies
Chapter 10
Next Steps: Creating a Plan of Action
ª Develop Your Master List of Community Assets
ª Prepare a Written Action Plan
ª Distribute the Action Plan
ª Develop Baseline Data and Prepare to Measure Impact
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