Participants discuss topics in small groups
during one of the Jackson Hole conferences

Survey inicates high satisfaction among Jackson Hole "graduates"

"I am constantly using the valuable information I received from the conference such as marketing your community, 10 ideas for recruiting new leaders, group dynamics, developing an agenda, and especially your strategic planning material. It makes the process much more simple."

Survey Respondent

In a recent Heartland Center survey, people who have participated in our two Jackson Hole Leadership Institutes report a dramatic increase in their community development skills.

The survey asked respondents to use a 10-point scale to rate their abilities in five areas, both before and after participating in either Helping Small Towns Succeed and/or Skill-Building for Stronger Communities.

Participants said their overall professional skills and confidence increased more than 50% by attending the four- and five-day workshops. Skill areas included helping a community develop a vision, faith in the ability to rise to the challenges of the future, ability to lead or facilitate the planning process, ability to identify and recruit new leaders, and strategies for coping with change. (See graph for details.)

The survey, distributed to the nearly 600 persons who have attended one or both of the Jackson Hole Institutes since 1992, netted a 12% response rate. The overwhelming majority (73%) said they chose a Heartland Center workshop because of the training topics offered. When asked which future topics are most important, one-third of those surveyed identified sustainable development, rural-urban connections and advanced strategic planning. Needs assessment and citizen participation were also important topics, indicated by one-fourth of the respondents.

Comments were highly complimentary regarding the active sharing of information that takes place during the Heartland Center workshops. "My favorite part was gaining input from others who have problems similar to my own. The planning we did for each community was wonderful, and the contacts that we made were appreciated. I learned so much, I could never fit in onto one piece of paper!"

Many participants also had high praise for the take-home educational materials. "I use my notebooks at least on a weekly basis," said one respondent. "I can´t think of what I don´t use," said another. "I am constantly using the valuable information I received from the conference such as marketing your community, 10 ideas for recruiting new leaders, group dynamics, developing an agenda, and especially your strategic planning material. It makes the process much more simple."

The Heartland Center thanks all of our graduates who responded to the survey. The information is being used to plan and improve future curriculum. And we are pleased to announce that our two annual leadership institutes will continue to be held (on the advice of 40% of respondents) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.