Expanding Partnerships
by Clay Kraby
In fall 2010, the Strom Center teamed up with the Bush foundation to facilitate a series of listening sessions titled ‘Prospects & Possibilities.’ The purpose of these discussions was to give community members the opportunity to voice opinions about their top concerns, stimulate discussion, and generate ideas on how to solve problems in the state. Sessions were also designed to share information about the trends affecting the future of North Dakota and allow community members to
connect with others through conversation.
The meetings were structured to enable participants to learn about the future of and challenges to North Dakota, connect with others through conversations, generate ideas to address tough problems and influence decisions in the state and in communities. The Strom Center conducted five meetings in Dickinson, Killdeer, Medora, and Beach using Bush Foundation material and guidelines.
Established by 3M executive Archibald Bush and his wife, Edyth, the Bush Foundation strives to be a catalyst to help leadership solve tough public problems and to improve the well-being of communities in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. In doing so, the Foundation is pursuing three major goals: increasing educational achievement, supporting the self-determination of Native nations and shaping the next generation of public services.
The Prospects and Possibilities program falls into the latter category. During these sessions attendees voted on the top concern in the state of North Dakota. While the impact of increased oil production on the local infrastructure and economy was a common topic, demographic change was the No. 1 or No. 2 issue. Forty-two percent of participants rated it as the state’s biggest problem to solve. This concern covered many areas, including an aging population, outmigration, and a rural to urban population shift. After establishing top concerns, the conversation shifted to discussing potential solutions to address these issues.
Collectively, North Dakota participants generated several ideas. Marketing the benefits of small town living, focusing on state-wide job creation, providing tuition reimbursement and tax incentives to stem the flow of outmigration, and ensuring a positive entrepreneurial climate were all discussed at length.
The Bush Foundation will take the input from these sessions into consideration when engaging policymakers, academic institutions, and community leaders. It will also help guide the philanthropic objectives of the Foundation. To read the complete notes from the individual sessions or to weigh in with your ideas and opinions, go to www.CitiZing.org/projects/northdakota. If you would like to receive a copy of the final report from the Prospects & Possibilities sessions, please email info@stromcenter.com.
By Clayton Kraby
