University Center website set

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Center for Rural Resilience and Workforce Development has launched a new website detailing the resources and services offered through its newest program, designed to support economic and workforce development across Arkansas.

The website is available at https://www.uaex.uada.edu/business-communities/community-workforce-development/eda.aspx.

In November, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, or EDA, awarded a $650,000, five-year grant to the Cooperative Extension Service’s department of Community, Professional and Economic Development to establish and operate a University Center. Rather than a physical location, the EDA University Center program is a resource serving the state’s economic development ecosystem, with a particular focus on rural marginalized communities, including Hispanic and Marshallese communities, according to a news release.

The website outlines information about the program and its services, including training and technical assistance, applied research and annual research findings reports. The website also features an interactive map of Arkansas’s eight EDA-funded Development Districts, which serve all 75 counties.

“The Development Districts offer incredible services to their communities, such as grant writing, planning and economic development projects, and we want to make sure anyone in their community can find their district and connect with them,” said Brandon L. Mathews, extension program manager for the University Center.