Solving Community Problems: From Talk to Action

Do you want your community to work better? Learn to solve community problems with talk that leads to action.

A series of free public workshops on community decision-making is offered this fall at Nicolet Area Technical College. Eric Giordano, director of the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, and Myles Alexander, UW-Extension Oneida County Community Development Educator, will lead the workshops. People may attend one or all workshops.

“Communities face complex problems,” Alexander said. “Often our discussion do not get far because we come at problems from different perspectives. Even friends may not agree on what a problem is. Participants will enjoy the interactive workshops and learn tools to use in their lives.”

The public workshops:
September: “Naming and framing difficult topics.” Participants will learn how to describe a problem and find options to address the problem. Choose one of the options:

  • 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, Room 111, Northwoods Center, Nicolet Area Technical College.
  • 10 a.m.-Noon, Wednesday, Sept. 29, Room 111, Northwoods Center, Nicolet Area Technical College.
  • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, Room 111, Northwoods Center, Nicolet Area Technical College.Register online at www.bit.ly/NameFrameWorkshop1.

October: “Naming and framing a topic of your choice.” Participants will apply skills from the first workshop to name and frame a Northwoods topic. The group will choose the topic. The workshop is offered:

  • 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, Room 111, Northwoods Center, Nicolet Area Technical College.Online registration is at www.bit.ly/NameFrameWorkshop2.

    The Northwoods Center is located at 5350 College Dr., Rhinelander.

November: “How to moderate small group deliberation.” Workshop three covers how to organize and moderate small group conversations that deliberate options and choose a strategy. In workshop four participants will apply their learning in a small group deliberation.

January: “How to make an effective plan of action.” In workshops five and six participants will learn how to use their new skills to make an action plan.

Details about the November and January workshops will be announced in October. Click here for the event flyer. 

For more information contact Myles Alexander, Community Development Specialist, at myles.alexander@wisc.edu or call 715-365-2750.