Annual Report for NCRCRD -North Central Regional Center for Rural Development

2024 Annual Report

NCRCRD Annual Report cover with 3 group images

The NCRCRD 2024 Annual Report provides a review of the Center’s initiatives for the past year and includes the summaries and impacts of the grant projects that completed work in 2024.

Below is a summary of the Center’s major accomplishments in 2024.

To receive the electronic file of the 2024 Annual Report or previous NCRCRD annual reports (2009 – 2023), please email NCRCRD.

Growth of NCR-Stat Database

Two themed North Central Region datasets published in 2024.

Expansion of surveys to other regions

NER-Stat: Caregiving Survey published: Using the same survey as the NCR-Stat: Caregiving Survey, the NCRCRD conducted the the same survey in the Northeast Region for our sister center, the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NECRD) in 2023 and published the NER-Stat: Caregiving Survey in 2024.
Collaboration on three new regional surveys: In 2024, the Baseline Survey 2024 was conducted in the North Central, Northeast, and Southern Regions in collaboration with our sister centers, the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development and the Southern Rural Development Center.

Grants and Fellowships

Awarded grants and fellowships in 2024

Six grants funded in 2024
- 4 Small Grants
- 1 Extensions Collaboration & Implementation Grant
- 1 Thematic Working Group
Two Faculty Fellows named in 2024
- Samuel C.H. Mindes, Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor, Rural Sociology, Dept. of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Iowa State University | Project Focus: Housing
- Sarah Kennedy, MPH, Field Specialist-Community Development, Early Childhood Impact, University of Missouri Extension | Project Focus: Childcare
- Read more about each Fellow’s project on the Current Fellows web page

Completed grants and fellowships in 2024

4 Small Grants
1 Extensions Collaboration & Implementation Grant
2 Fellowships

Collective impacts of the 7 completed grant projects:

16 presentations
2 datasets
5 journal articles
3 workshops
6 webinars
1 curriculum
2 manuscripts
4 outreach articles
Numerous professional development activities

Partnerships/Collaborations

Center partners with two programs to provide technical assistance

New Beginnings for Tribal Students (NBTS)
PROPEL Technical Assistance Initiatives

Collaborative effort to review CRED Impact Indicators

In collaboration with the North Central Cooperative Extension Association, the Southern Rural Development Center, and NCRCRD, an effort to review, refresh and revise a set of impact indicators that serve as the foundation for highlighting the impact and public valuer of Extension’s Community Resource and Economic Development (CRED) work nationally began in 2024.

NCRCRD collaborates with EDEN and NIFA on 2024 workshops and support NCR attendees with travel stipends

Elevating NCR Research & Extension Programs

2024 NCRCRD Webinar Series

The NCRCRD Webinar Series seeks to elevate NCR research and Extension programs that address the region’s rural challenges.

Eleven webinars hosted in 2024.
2024 Webinar Series metrics:
- High attendee ratings given in post-webinar surveys.
  - Overall attendees’ rating for the 2024 Webinar Series: 4.52 (Ratings: 1=lowest to 5=highest)
  - Likelihood of attending another webinar: 4.62 (Ratings: 1=not likely to 5=most likely)
- Total views of webinar recordings: 27% increase from 2023
- Recording watch time: 21% increase from 2023
- NCRCRD YouTube channel subscribers: 43% increase from 2023.

Community Development Extension Library

The Community Development Extension Library provides a national repository for Extension professionals to share and discover programs and resources.

The Library showed strong growth in 2024:
- Total Visits: 25% increase from 2023
- File Downloads: 81% increase from 2023
NCRCRD continues to maintain and support this site that was created in 2023 with the support of an NCRCRD small grant and in partnership with NACDEP.

NCR Community Development Extension Impact Report

NCRCRD hosts and provides logistical support to the region’s Community Development Extension program leaders for their monthly meetings. NCRCRD also facilitates the compilation and reporting of the North Central Region (NCR) Annual Community Development Extension (CDE) Impact Report. The report gathers the common indicators that NCR university Extension leaders from the twelve North Central 1862 land-grant universities developed for reporting their impacts.

If interested in a digital copy of the current NCR Community Development Impact Report, please email NCCRD.

Outreach

Conference development in 2024

NCRCRD conference support in 2024 focused on encouraging collaboration and facilitating partnerships among land-grant institutions through conference development (CD), presentations (P), and outreach (O).

National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) 2024 Annual Conference (CD, P, O)
National Rural Grocery Summit 2024(CD)
Community Development Society (CDS) 2024 Conference (CD)
Rural Sociological Society 2024 Annual Meeting (CD, P, O)
First Americans Land-Grant Consortium (FALCON) Annual Conference (CD, P, O)

Visits with region’s land-grant institutions

In 2024, NCRCRD Directors, Maria Marshall and Michael Wilcox, visited Michigan, Minnesota, and Missouri land-grant institutions (LGIs). The gatherings with faculty, Extension, and staff serve not only to introduce the Center’s resources and opportunities, but also an opportunity for the Center to learn more about each institution’s programs and research.

2024 visits:

Minnesota (March)
- White Earth Tribal and Community College (1994)
- Red Lake Nation College (1994)
Missouri (March)
- Lincoln University (1890)
- University of Missouri (1862)
Michigan (October)
- Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (1994)
- Bay Mills Community College (1994)
- Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (1994)
- Michigan State University (1862)