The 2025 Energize! Exploring Innovative Rural Communities Conference reaffirmed its role as a powerful driver of rural vitality South Dakota. Hosted May 6–7 in Platte, South Dakota, the seventh annual event convened 150 community leaders, volunteers, and local champions to exchange ideas, strengthen networks, and gain practical tools for advancing local development efforts.
Keynote speaker Rebecca Undem, founder of Growing Small Towns, alongside South Dakota–based presenters, delivered sessions grounded in real community experience. Breakouts highlighted actionable strategies in areas such as rural tourism, fundraising, volunteer engagement, and leadership development. Survey responses — 66 total, with 54 fully completed — showed strong appreciation for the conference’s practical, energizing content. Participants emphasized the value of peer learning, noting that the opportunity to share successes and challenges sparked new ideas and renewed motivation.
The conference also generated measurable benefits for the host community. Attendee spending contributed an estimated $56,916–$68,850 to the local economy, supporting hotels, restaurants, retailers, and service businesses.
2025 Energize! conference attendees
Energize! continues to demonstrate lasting impact. Forty-five percent of attendees had participated in previous years, and many credited past conferences with helping them launch arts initiatives, support youth entrepreneurship, secure grants, and organize community events. Nearly two-thirds of returning participants reported that insights gained from Energize! directly contributed to bringing new funding into their communities.
The 2025 conference strengthened this momentum. As participants return home equipped with new ideas, connections, and resources, the ripple effects of Energize! continue to expand — building local leadership, enhancing community capacity, and fueling rural innovation across South Dakota.
Additional information
- South Dakota State University Extension
- North Central Region Community Development Extension Impact Report 2025