Neighboring 101 Date and Time: Typically the third Thursday of the month, 12 pm - 1 pm (CST) Class/Event Organizer: David Burton | burtond@missouri.edu   Venue: Zoom HOST ORGANIZATION/PROGRAM OVERVIEW Since 2021, University of Missouri Extension's Engaged Neighbor program has offered a Neighboring 101 class, an ongoing program for anyone wanting to improve their neighborhood or community as well as their personal life and health. The organizer, David Burton, has been a community development specialist with MU Extension since 2001.  “In these monthly Zoom classes we look at the science and art of neighboring by highlighting examples across the nation where it is being done well. Past guests have included neighborhood award winners, practitioners, authors and researchers. We also focus on related issues like placemaking, loneliness, belonging, third places and neighborhood leadership. The class focuses on connecting neighbors and neighborhoods so it is a niche topic but...

  Over the past five years, the Neighboring 101  class has shared countless stories and lessons from people across North America who are changing their communities by simply becoming engaged neighbors.  Through monthly Zoom sessions, this interactive series has shown how small, meaningful connections between neighbors can lead to powerful improvements in quality of life, safety, and sense of belonging. From stories of front yard meet-ups to neighborhood cleanups and creative celebrations, the class has made one thing very clear: neighboring isn’t complicated, but it is important. What Is Neighboring 101? Neighboring 101 is led by David Burton, a community development specialist with the University of Missouri Extension. In 2018 he was inspired by the book The Art of Neighboring  by Dave Runyon, and  Burton worked toward creating a class to educate and motivate people to take small steps toward becoming more engaged in their neighborhoods.  The program e...