Tawanna Black
Founder & CEO, Center of Economic Inclusion
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The opening plenary session of the 50th Anniversary Celebration and 2019 CDS Conference will warmly welcome you and challenge us to "learn, listen, critique, and speak" about how our work is succeeding (or failing) in creating a better world. Together, we will spend an energized session merging our collective practical wisdom with provocative questions and co-creativity.
Contribute Words and Images
Sunday night will celebrate our history visually with the launch of a new book and more. Monday night will include an ice cream social in the Orr Street Studios with Central Dairy Ice Cream. The traditional “Soap Box” returns on Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday’s banquet will be a celebration of the CDS birthday, presentation of awards, and auction of the anniversary quilt depicting community development.
Learn MoreThe 50th anniversary year of the international Community Development Society gives us a golden opportunity to express and explore the extreme relevance and responsibility of the community development field and how all of us can continue to be proactive change agents, to help create conditions for and foster shared and welcoming communities.
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We are going back to where we started—the University of Missouri campus—in the beautiful Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center. The Bond Life Sciences Center is a unique, non-traditional, state-of-the art building that is the hub of the University of Missouri’s extensive research. The Bond Center is located in the heart of the campus, and close to downtown Columbia, hotels and campus lodging.
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Float the Mighty MO
Paddle downstream on the Missouri River and learn how the "Big Muddy" has impacted the people and communities across the river basin. Brief stops will allow participants to observe the Manitou Bluffs, wetlands, and local wildlife. No previous experience needed; life jackets and safety equipment provided and demonstrated.
White Oak Tour
Many of the world’s finest wines and whiskey’s begin in Missouri’s hardwood forests. Join University of Missouri Forester Hank Stelzer on a visit to nearby town of Higbee to see how cooper artisans at The Oak Cooperage craft some of the 1.5 million barrels that roll out of Missouri.
Making Gems from Rubble: The Missouri State Penitentiary Museum
Take a short bus ride to nearby Jefferson City and tour the Missouri State Penitentiary Museum, one of Missouri's most unusual tourism sites. After the tour, we’ll cool off at nearby Prison Brews while storyteller Larry Brown share how new understandings of the familiar can enhance local culture. Note that this is a walking tour on ground that is sometimes uneven, there are a few short stairs involved, and the museum buildings are not air conditioned.
CoMo’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Columbia's vibrant and growing entrepreneurial community didn't happen by chance. This workshop will tour the Missouri Innovation Center and other resource centers, meet with local influencers and entrepreneurs, including one that's now a Fortune 500 company.
Full Circle Food System Tour
Learn about the urban agriculture park under construction in Columbia, and tour its new market pavilion. Visit a thriving school learning garden and hear how they went from a small after-school program to an integral part of each school day. Meet and share lunch with a farmer tapping into the meal kit trend.
Connecting Communities with Trails
Columbia's trail system is integral to its community identity -- hop on one of our rented bikes and learn about the role and importance of the trails, how they are connecting neighborhoods and increasing access for vulnerable populations, including hearing from residents themselves. Bicycles are provided.
Building Community Through Art
This workshop explores how community arts are growing the local economy, connecting people across cultures, and helping to heal deep wounds. One highlight will be the Ragtag Theater, where you'll learn about the True/False Film Festival, one of the world's top documentary film festivals.
The Growing Role of Faith-Based Community Development
Faith-based community development brings together people around shared values, working together for change. This workshop will focus on some of the less-traditional roles being undertaken by Columbia's faith community.
Columbia is a small Midwestern city with much to see and do including an eclectic mixture of outdoor adventures and urban living.
Discover the District
The District is an 11 by 5 block area of downtown Columbia adjacent to the University of Missouri. It includes an eclectic mix of entertainment, hotels, services, restaurants shopping and more.
North Village Arts District
North Village Arts District is located on the northern edge of downtown Columbia and is home to art and dance studios, galleries, and a mix of shops and restaurants. If you stay at Broadway Columbia, the North Village Arts District will be in your backyard!
Shelter Gardens
Shelter Gardens is a beautiful botanical garden located just a few minutes drive west of downtown Columbia on the campus of Shelter Insurance.
Stephens Lake Park
Located just a few blocks east of downtown Columbia, Stephens Lake Park is a nice place to get away for a few minutes to enjoy a walk or jog around the park, do a little fishing or simply rest and enjoy the scenery.
Rock Bridge State Park
Rock Bridge State Park is a beautiful place to visit if you have a morning or afternoon free. It is just a few miles south of downtown Columbia that has hiking, biking and riding trails that can connect you to the beauty of central Missouri.
Katy Trail
The Katy Trail is 475-mile bike trail that runs east and west across central Missouri. Columbia, Missouri is not directly on the Katy Trail but it can be accessed from downtown. It is a nice ride from Columbia to Rocheport, MO and/or the A-Frame. It’s not a short trip but it can be fun to bike to Rocheport, meet friends for a glass of wine at the A-frame and have them give you (and your bikes) a lift back in to Columbia!
The A-Frame and Les Bourgeois Vineyards
Les Bourgeois vineyards is located about 15 minutes west of Columbia on Interstate 70 on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River and just minutes away from historic downtown Rocheport, MO. The A-Frame is rustic outdoor destination that is the perfect place to enjoy a glass of Missouri wine and take in the beautiful scenery overlooking the Missouri River.
Rocheport
Rocheport is a beautiful small town of fewer that 200 people located on the banks of the Missouri River about 15 miles west of Columbia. It has a number of historic properties and access to the Katy Trail.
33 Russell St. #202
Rochester, NY 14607
888-873-7380
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2524 S. El Paradiso #82
Mesa, AZ 85202
(480) 399-3763
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