Wayne County Community Development

Welcome to the Wayne County Community Development Page!

I am Elisa Worland, the Community Development Extension Educator in Wayne County. I earned my masters in social work, with a focus on community-based practice, and area of social work that looks at how to exact change at the systems level rather than individual level. I went on to serve in the Peace Corps for 4 years in Paraguay. The latter half of my service was focused on capacity building, curriculum writing, and program development for volunteer programs in Paraguay.

The mission of the Community Development program is to, “strengthen the capacity of local leaders, residents, and organizations to build strong, vibrant communities by using research-based resources to guide their decisions”. We don’t make the decisions for communities—we provide resources (such as workshops, data, publications, etc.) to guide communities in making decisions.

When we work with a community, it is usually to train leaders on tools and techniques that help them make better decisions.  We provide the process—they provide the content.

The five pillars Community Development focus on:

• Leadership & Civic Engagement
• Community & Organizational Planning
• Economic & Business Development
• Local Government Education
• Quality Places

I provide programs and educational learning opportunities to improve the quality of life in Wayne County!

For specific program opportunities visit: State Community Development Website

If you have any questions or would like to chat about the programs we offer feel free to call the Extension Office at 765-973-9281 or email: eworland@purdue.edu

Elisa Woreland, HHS / CD Educator
eworland@purdue.edu 

Purdue Extension Wayne County
861 Salisbury Road North
Richmond, IN 47374
(765) 973-9281