June 11-14, 2017
Conference presentation at the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP), June 2017, (page 12)
This was the first ever joint conference of the Community Development Society (CDS) and the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP). The conference steering committee along with the local host committee, spending several months planning the conference and anticipating attendee arrival. This year they used a double blind peer review process in selecting the breakout session presenters. All of these educational opportunities provided a chance to showcase the work of peers while increasing professional competencies.
National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals is an organization dedicated to improving the visibility, coordination, professional status and resource base of community and economic development Extension programs and professionals. NACDEP makes no effort to proscribe what state or regional community resource and economic development programming and research look like, but rather is designed to assist those of us who deliver programming and do research under this broad umbrella to acquire and maintain the financial, political, technical and organizational resources we need to meet our objectives.
The Community Development Society views community development as a profession that integrates knowledge from many disciplines with theory, research, teaching, and practice as important and interdependent functions that are vital in the public and private sectors. We believe the Society must be proactive by providing leadership to professionals and citizens across the spectrum of community development. In so doing, we believe the Society must be open and responsive to the needs of its members through provisions and services which enhance professional development. As a part of the CDS beliefs, the organization follows the core Principles of Good Practice:
- Promote active and representative participation toward enabling all community members to meaningfully influence the decisions that affect their lives.
- Engage community members in learning about and understanding community issues, and the economic, social, environmental, political, psychological, and other impacts associated with alternative courses of action.
- Incorporate the diverse interests and cultures of the community in the community development process; and disengage from support of any effort that is likely to adversely affect the disadvantaged members of a community.
- Work actively to enhance the leadership capacity of community members, leaders, and groups within the community.
- Be open to using the full range of action strategies to work toward the long-term sustainability and well-being of the community.