There are conferences where you sit in a hotel ballroom, listen to presentations, take a few notes and head home. Then there are conferences where the community itself becomes the classroom . That is one reason I’m excited about MU Extension’s 2026 Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC) Conference , coming to Maryville, Missouri, Sept. 15–17. This year’s theme is “Show-Me Momentum: From Main Street to Farm Gate,” and the conference is designed for people who care about creating communities where businesses, entrepreneurs and residents can thrive. CEC brings together economic development professionals, local government officials, chamber and nonprofit leaders, educators, workforce partners, small-business supporters, community planners and others who want to strengthen their communities. But what makes CEC different is how we learn. Rather than talking about community development from the confines of a traditional conference setting, CEC takes participants into the host com...

  August 10, 2026 Jefferson City, Mo. — ServMO has announced the recipients of the America 250 Mini-Grants, which support meaningful, community-driven service projects in honor of the 9/11 Day of Service and Missouri Good Neighbor Week . These mini-grants were funded in partnership with Missouri’s Show Me America 250 Commission. “These mini-grants encourage Missourians to commemorate America’s 250 th anniversary while getting more connected to their neighbors,” said Brittany Crabtree, Executive Director of ServMO. “We hope these activities plant the seeds for sustained community engagement all year long.” ServMO announced this $15,000 funding opportunity with the goal of supporting mini-grant projects ranging from $500 - $3,000. During the month of September, local community organizations, neighborhoods, and volunteer groups will join together in honoring the 25 th anniversary of 9/11 and Missouri Good Neighbor Week. America 250 Mini-Grant Recipients Bismarck United M...

  What if reading one book together could help us become better neighbors? This fall, Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute is inviting people across the country to participate in the Weave BIG READ , a shared reading and conversation experience centered on David Brooks’ book How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen . The BIG READ will take place Oct. 1 to Nov. 5, 2026 , bringing together thousands of people to read, reflect, talk, and practice the skills that help us better understand one another. And for anyone interested in neighboring and building stronger communities, this seems like a particularly timely opportunity.  Why This Book—and Why Now? We spend a lot of time talking about loneliness, polarization, declining trust, and the weakening of community connections. But rebuilding our social fabric ultimately requires more than identifying the problem. It requires learning how to relate to one another differently. That...

  The following story is one of the reasons why I wrote The Neighboring Playbook .  We hear a great deal today about loneliness, division, and declining trust. We often look to Washington, Jefferson City, or city hall for the answers. But I have become convinced that one of America's greatest opportunities is much closer than that. It is the people who live next door. My book isn't really about being nicer. It's about rebuilding the relationships that make communities stronger.  I believe neighboring isn't just a personal virtue; it's civic infrastructure.  When neighbors know one another, communities become safer, healthier, more resilient, and more connected. My hope is that readers won't simply purchase and finish my book . I hope they'll walk home, learn one new neighbor's name, host one gathering, or knock on one door. Because that's where stronger communities begin. So here is my excerpt: The ambulance arrived with lights flashing quietly again...

When we talk about strengthening neighborhoods, we sometimes focus on people : getting neighbors to meet one another, encouraging volunteerism, developing local leaders, welcoming newcomers, checking on older adults, or simply learning the names of the people who live nearby. Other times, we focus on place : improving parks, adding sidewalks, addressing abandoned properties, creating gathering spaces, improving lighting, planting trees, or making streets safer. But perhaps the most important lesson from community development is that we shouldn't choose between the two.  Strong neighborhoods require both connected people and places designed to help those connections happen. A Great Park Doesn't Automatically Create Community Imagine a neighborhood receives funding for a beautiful new park. There are walking paths, benches, a playground, shade trees and perhaps even a pavilion. Those are worthwhile investments. They improve the physical environment and create something everyone ...

Somewhere along the way, we began to believe that being connected meant being online. We tell ourselves that social media helps us keep up with friends, stay informed, and maintain relationships. For our children, the pressure is even greater. “Everyone else has it.” “They’ll be left out.” “How will they stay connected?” But what if we’ve confused constant contact with real connection ? The healthiest, most meaningful relationships have never depended on an app. They are built through shared experiences, conversations, laughter, eye contact, and time. The kinds of moments that can’t be captured in a story or measured by likes. Children don’t need social media to belong. They need places where they are known. Connection Has Always Been an Offline Experience Think about your own childhood. You probably remember riding bikes until the streetlights came on, knocking on a friend’s door to see if they could play, long conversations around the dinner table, family vacations, neighborhood adv...