Presho, SD

Launch ‘08 is a one-day event advancing entrepreneurship education in
SD on Thursday, February 28, on Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell. The 2008 conference features two tracks: Educator track is geared toward those who are interested in integrating innovative and creative thinking within their respective disciplines. This year’s conference features the following internationally-renowned speakers: Ed Sobey, PhD, global evangelist for creative learning and founding Director of the Northwest Invention Center, The National Inventors Hall of Fame and National Toy Hall of Fame; Kathleen R. Allen, PhD, a nationally recognized and respected leader, consultant, speaker and author of numerous books on entrepreneurship as well as the Director of the University of Southern California Marshall Center for Technology Commercialism; and Timothy M. Stearns, PhD., holder of the Coleman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies and the executive director of the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreurship at California State University-Fresno.
If you are interested in attending Launch ‘08, email Martha at martha.landes@sdstate.edu (registration deadline is February 15)

A January blog question asks what new partnerships have been created because of Horizons. The most obvious is probably the senior meals program. A new partnership has been created between ROCS and four communities. The four communities working together as a regional team is, I believe, going to be a key to each community’s economic and social survival. It’s a start in the right direction.

This not to say we don’t have a long way to go, too. Our strategic plan is very ambitious and will take the formation of even more new partnerships and maybe the re-tooling of some long-term ones, too.

One of the January questions is “how has leadership in your community been enhanced/improved?” I believe more people are speaking up and making their opinions known, especially people who in the past may not have done so. I feel communication is essential to change/improvement so more discussion on issues is a good thing!