Economic Development Course: The Fundamentals of Rural Economic Development

New location and date: Blackfalds Civic Cultural Center (Tayles Room), Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Join us for this one-day course that will help you craft, execute, and refine effective rural economic development strategies.

Delivered by the Economic Developers of Alberta (EDA) Institute, this course will enable you to identify and leverage economic opportunities specific to the context of your rural community.

Participants will:

• Learn about rural economic development, its distinctions in rural versus urban settings, and common challenges faced by rural communities.

• Acquire skills to assess rural community needs and assets using tools like Community Needs Assessment (CNA), Asset Mapping, and Gap Analysis, facilitating the identification of strengths, challenges, and opportunities for capacity building.

• Gain insight into strategic planning and implementation, distinguishing between project and strategic planning, developing Rural Economic Development Plans based on CNAs, and integrating the Logic Model to illustrate connections between resources, activities, and outcomes.

• Learn how to develop effective rural economic development strategies, with creative approaches for connecting strategies with resources.

• Hear about inclusive community engagement, fostering participation and community ownership, leveraging partnerships, and addressing conflict within rural communities.

• Learn how to empower local leadership, establish collaborative governance structures, identify rural economic development models, and define the roles of economic development officers, organizations, or committees in fostering economic growth.
  

A coffee break, morning snacks and lunch will be provided. A special thank you to the Town of Blackfalds for hosting this event. 

CAEP Member Organizations: Free registration for up to 2 individuals

Non-CAEP Members: $350