New Program will Investigate Rural Entrepreneurship

A grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, Missouri, will help the Heartland Center launch a new program focused on rural entrepreneurship. The program will explore how some rural communities deliberately encourage and nurture emerging entrepreneurs. Part of the program will document how these communities prevent "brain drain" by helping young people create future economic opportunities close to home.

The Heartland Center will be looking for creative ways to support and promote rural entrepreneurship at the local level, at an early age, within a network of supportive community relationships. The Center intends to identify these smart communities and tell their stories. Plans call for the development of a publication, a training program and accompanying educational materials that will teach rural community leaders how to replicate the documented success stories.

The printed materials will be disseminated through the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, the Kellogg Collection for Rural Community Development Resources, state and local governments, local libraries, and other community development resources. Training programs will be incorporated within the Center´s leadership development workshops, including Helping Small Towns Succeed and Skill-Building for Stronger Communities.

The Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurship is taking an innovative approach to accelerating entrepreneurship through educational programming and research. Inspired by his passion to provide opportunity for other entrepreneurs, Ewing Marion Kauffman launched the Kauffman Center, the largest organization solely focused on entrepreneurial success at all levelsÐfrom elementary students to high-growth entrepreneurs. The Kauffman Center is funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. For more information visit the website at www.entreworld.org.