Athens Area Community Athens Area Community Development ProjectDevelopment Project

MML Annual Conference 2010MML Annual Conference 2010

Eric TobinEric Tobin

Village of Athens TrusteeVillage of Athens Trustee

Like Most Rural CommunitiesLike Most Rural Communities

• Closing Businesses– Empty DTO– High Unemployment– Loss of Tax Revenue

• Declining Population– Declining School Enrollment– Youth Outmigration – Loss of Leadership, Volunteerism, and

Philanthropy

What Did We Do?What Did We Do?

• Took Action– Began an Listening Campaign (And never stopped)

• Held Public Forums• Hired a Consultant-realized this needed more than just

volunteer labor• Conducted a Business Inventory

– Created a Directory• Conducted Personal Surveys Door to Door

– Likes– Dislikes– Businesses they would like to have– What would encourage them to shop locally– Awareness of local businesses both profit and non profit– Distributed Directory

• Youth Survey (Very Similar to Adult Survey)

Next StepsNext Steps

– Developed Strategic Plan• Used information from the surveys• Long Term Plan• Focus both on Economic and Community

Development at the same time• Entrepreneurship is the key• Leverage resources for Business Incubation• Emphasis on “VALUE” of local• Youth have to be part of the equation• Partner with Community and Community Orgs• Hire a staff person

Business IncubationBusiness Incubation

• Define it as “any activity taken to help an organization get started”.– Could be providing advice or training– Could be providing space or capital– Could be providing classes or connections to

other resources– Could be providing coaches or mentors

• According to U of M researchers every $1 spent on incubation returns $3

Entrepreneurship is the KeyEntrepreneurship is the Key

• Our industrial might and former luster was born out of the Entrepreneurial Mindset

• To change our future, we must regain that Mindset

• Creation of businesses increases the circular flow of money.– Higher tax revenues

• A Focus on Entrepreneurship should be targeted at all age levels, especially YOUTH!

Youth EntrepreneurshipYouth Entrepreneurship

• Builds your long term sustainability• Increases likelihood of youth staying in area

– Personal relationships and connections to the community

• Preps your next batch of community leaders and philanthropists

• Increases volunteerism• Increases Employability Skills- “Soft Skills”

How Do You Provide Youth How Do You Provide Youth EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship

• Generation E Institute– 6 year old MI Non Profit with a proven track

record for success– Uses a Community Development Approach and

project based learning– Middle School, High School, and Young Adult

programming• Can be in school, after school, summer camp, can be

tied to 4-H, JA, FFA, BPA, DECA.

– Students will actually Launch a business that they are interested in

Any Questions?Any Questions?

Eric TobinCommunity Development DirectorGeneration E Institute269-441-1238erict@genei.org