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August 4, 2008
Welcome to the UAEDI web site! There is a level of enthusiasm and excitement about the role of UAEDI in the future of Arkansas, and I am delighted that you are interested enough to check us out. Let me give you a brief overview.
UAEDI is a collection of University of Arkansas faculty, staff, administrators, students and UA partners who are voluntarily working together to enhance the economic and social well-being and prosperity of the people of Arkansas. UAEDI focuses on five strategic areas of involvement: Discussion Groups and Special Initiatives; Regional Partnerships; Student Engaged in Economic Development (SEED); Information Resources; and Referrals and Connections.
Our goals and programs are grounded in “preparing people for prosperity.” We don’t claim to be able to deliver prosperity. However, we do believe that we can help stack the odds in favor of Arkansans being more economically and socially prosperous by fully utilizing the considerable physical and intellectual resources of the University of Arkansas and its partners in a comprehensive and collaborative effort.
UAEDI was created in July 2002. While we have worked with many different groups, our focus has been on creating a state, regional and national model for broad-based development (economic, educational, community and leadership) in rural communities. I’m extremely pleased to say that the 10-county 254,000 population Crossroads Coalition in eastern Arkansas near Memphis, TN has become that model (see http://Crossroadscoalition.org). Effective July 1, 2008, all the components of the Coalition are now in place with the hiring of the first Executive Director. This goes with the earlier additions of a Foundation, Board and Directors, Headquarters at the Technology Center for the Delta and four active pillar groups, each comprised of those interested in promoting either economic, educational, community or leadership development in the region.
The next step for UAEDI with the Crossroads Coalition and others as partners is to greatly expand SEED – Students Engaged in Economic Development – on the University of Arkansas Fayetteville campus and elsewhere. SEED is a for-credit type of service learning program that UAEDI initiated in 2003. The overall plan is that the Crossroads Coalition will serve as a prototype for the new Student Community Summit program (“SUMMIT”) where each of its 10 counties will identify student projects that may be selected for implementation in full or in part by public school or college students. UAEDI’s role is to present and promote these student project ideas in database form for selection in full or in part by a full range of partners in the public schools, higher education and government/private agencies.
It will take several years for SUMMIT and SEED to reach their full potential. However, the potential is indeed huge for getting today’s students vested in their communities and thus transforming our state and region into a place of greater prosperity and well being.
So, you may be wondering how any of this applies to you or how you can become involved. One way is to contribute to the Summit Student Project Idea Database via the link on the Crossroads Coalition webpage.
There are other opportunities as well. Certainly, feel free to call me if you seek additional information. We welcome partners to help with the great task that faces our state in preparing to successfully compete in a technology-based global economy. We believe that it will take implementation of a new model based on creative solutions, broad-based development, collaborative partnerships and adequate physical, monetary and intellectual resources. But most of all, it will take visionary, capable, and willing leaders who understand how best to contribute, both collectively and individually. UAEDI is about helping bring this type of leadership together for the betterment of our state and region.
If you are interested in UAEDI, contact me and we will discuss how you can be part of our endeavor.
Sincerely,
Otto J. Loewer
Director and Professor
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