WSU HORIZONS PROJECT HONORED

WSU Extension's Horizons Program Honored for Work> > SPOKANE, Wash. - Partnering to promote the Horizons leadership program> in the Inland Northwest has earned Washington State University Extension> and the University of Idaho honors from Inland Northwest Partners.> > INP, a regional, non-profit, economic development organization, last> week honored local communities and organizations for outstanding> contributions toward economic development in the region. It bestowed> "The Partnership Award" on the two Palouse universities for their work> with the Horizons leadership program in 42 communities; WSU has worked> with 25 communities to date, and UI has worked with 17 communities.> > "The Horizons project is all about helping communities help themselves,"> said Linda Kirk Fox, associate vice president and dean of WSU Extension.> "We are pleased to be in the position to hire and train the community> coaches who help communities identify and overcome obstacles to> prosperity."> > Funded primarily with a grant from the Northwest Area Foundation,> Horizons seeks to reduce poverty in rural and reservation communities> with populations of less than 5,000 and poverty rates of 10 percent or> more. The program was implemented in Washington, Idaho, Montana, North> Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and Oregon in 2002.> > Last year, in Washington and Idaho communities alone, more than 6,000> people participated in education trainings, more than 2,000 engaged in> community study circles, and 85 percent of participants reported an> increase in leadership skills after training.> > > Horizon community programs include projects such as expanding education> options for all residents, developing public transit systems, developing> recycling programs, farmers' markets and community gardens and economic> development projects.> > -30-> > This and other news releases from the WSU Extension and the College of> Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences are available on our> Web site: http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/. Need an expert? Go to:> http://experts.wsu.edu/.>