University of the Ozarks’ Town Square Collaborative (TSC) will bring together approximately 50 residents and congregational members from 10 rural Arkansas communities on Friday, Nov. 6, for a forum aimed at empowering local citizens and congregations to help shape the future of their communities.
The “What’s Next Rural Arkansas” forum will be facilitated by the National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) as part of its recently launched “What’s Next, America?” initiative, a nationwide effort to encourage meaningful community dialogue and citizen-led action as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary.
The initiative invites participants to explore three central questions through deliberative discussions: Where are we now? Where do we want to go? And how will we get there? Drawing on decades of experience fostering civic engagement, the program is designed to help communities identify shared priorities, navigate differences and work collaboratively toward solutions.
Shana Chaplin, assistant director for community engagement at TSC, said the forum aligns closely with the collaborative’s mission of strengthening rural communities by equipping local residents to become leaders and agents of positive change.
At the heart of TSC’s approach is the belief that sustainable community revitalization begins with informed, equipped and engaged citizens, with Christian congregations serving as important connectors and catalysts for civic involvement.
Through its community engagement efforts, TSC has identified citizen-led civic hubs as a promising strategy for revitalizing rural communities by encouraging congregational members and other residents to take more active roles in shaping their communities’ futures.
“We are excited to work with this nationally recognized organization to equip rural congregants and community members with the tools to serve as catalysts for engagement in their rural communities,” Chaplin said. “Post this event, each of the 10 communities will be eligible to apply for $30,000 in grant funding to build local, citizen led civic hubs, focused on moving congregations and community members to engage in the civic life of their communities.”
Cristin Brawner, executive director of NIFI, emphasized that meaningful community progress does not require everyone to agree on every issue, but rather a shared commitment to the places they call home.
“Across these 10 rural communities, neighbors are already caring for one another and investing in the places they call home,” Brawner said. “We’re grateful to join Town Square Collaborative and University of the Ozarks in building on that commitment. We hope participants return home with a clearer sense of what they can accomplish together—and ready to invite more neighbors to help shape what comes next.”
Chaplin said the forum is part of TSC’s Thriving Rural Congregations and Communities initiative, funded by Lilly Endowment, which seeks to strengthen rural communities by fostering collaboration, civic participation and grassroots leadership.
For Chaplin, the initiative also reflects the University’s longstanding commitment to serving and strengthening the region it calls home.
“It is an honor to do this work through the University of the Ozarks, a rural university serving rural students and rural communities,” she said.
Topics: Town Square Collaborative