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 present an educational event designed for community leaders, elected officials, business leaders and volunteers. The forum will be held in Three Lakes on Aug. 16, at the Three Lakes Town Office, 6965 W School St.

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.

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.

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

The forums are planned by a coalition of agencies and organizations including USDA – Rural Development; UW-Extension; the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation; the Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, and; Wisconsin Rural Partners.