Wisconsin has hundreds of small towns. They have different problems, needs and opportunities than other places. Small towns often host the area’s school and places of worship, and in spite of their size, their downtowns remain hubs of commerce and culture.

A consortium of state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations will be presenting three exciting educational events designed for community leaders, elected officials, business leaders and volunteers. Small Town Downtown Forums are designed to create a dialog amongst small town leaders with populations of 1,500 or fewer to give them a chance to learn from each other through case studies, roundtables and discussion groups. In addition to plenty of opportunities to learn from each other, each Forum will also include agency and university officials and non-profit organization leaders.

The emphasis is on downtown areas, and the many ways they can be improved and made increasingly vibrant. Everyone is invited to attend, and you don’t need to be from a small place to gain from information provided and connections made. Two Forums conducted in 2010 drew representatives of over 60 communities.

Five things participants can take away from the workshops include: 1) New business development ideas, 2) Find people/contacts who have similar issues, 3) Learn how to make your small size an advantage, 4) Identify a project to rally around, and 5) How to tap into new volunteer pools.

Small Town Downtown Forum will be held August 14-16 in:

• Greenwood, August 14, 2012, Greenwood High School, 306 W Central St, Greenwood

• Juneau, August 15, 2012, County Administration Building, 127 E Oak St, Juneau

• Three Lakes, August 16, 2012, Three Lakes Town Office, 6965 W School St, Three Lakes

The cost of attending a Forum is $10. For a brochure email: ricky@wirural.org. You can register online at: www.wisconsindowntown.org /events

Small Town Forums are planned and presented by a coalition of agencies and organizations including: USDA – Rural Development; University of Wisconsin – Extension; the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation; the Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, and; Wisconsin Rural Partners.