Community Service Opportunity in Old 5th- Open to Residents From Clay to Warren County

Do you or someone you know live in one of the following tobacco-dependent counties: Adair, Allen, Butler, Casey, Clay Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Green, Hart, Laurel, Marion, Metcalfe, Monroe, McCreary, Pulaski Russell, Taylor, Warren, Washington, and Wayne? If so, do you/they have a passion for small business and community service?

If so, you may be interested in the University of Kentucky Entrepreneurial Coaches Institute:

In 2003, the State Board of Agriculture funded a new program entitled The Kentucky Entrepreneurial Coaches Institute (KECI), a leadership program of the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky. The objective of the Institute is to encourage diversification of the economies in rural Kentucky. The Institute identifies and trains community citizens from across the region who are willing to work with current and potential entrepreneurs to encourage the development of new business ideas and ventures. It provides participants from across the region the skills they need to be effective entrepreneurial coaches in their communities. This project is supported by research indicating that there is an inadequate entrepreneurial support structure at the local and regional levels. Although the state has made key investments in university and state-level organizations to support agricultural and rural entrepreneurship, there are significant gaps in the entrepreneurial support structure.

This is a great program. I went through it a few years ago and it really opened my eyes as to the potential entrepreneurship could play in economic development.

Here's more on how to become a coach:

The Institute's mission is to train and nurture entrepreneurial leaders, advocates and coaches through an intensive leadership program involving a series of seminars and a national educational tour. Each seminar lasts approximately 2-3 days. It involves meeting and working with some of the “best and brightest” in rural entrepreneurship from the region, nation and other parts of the world. Thirty applicants will be selected to receive a fellowship for both the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 classes. Those chosen will receive an $18,000 Fellowship in the form of: instruction from key leaders in rural entrepreneurship, Institute materials, food and accommodations for seminars, and air travel for a national educational tour. (Costs for the coaches are for (occasinally) meals and travel... i.e. under $200 for the entire program.)

Links: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CLD/KECI/apply.html and http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CLD/KECI/about.html

Deadline for submission of application is November 30th, 2007. If you or a friend is interested in this and would like to talk to me about its potential, please drop me an email at Johnathangay at hotmail or just comment through this blog. Better yet, just apply in person. It's worth your time and I'd really like to see some good folks get in this very valuable program.

A footnote: This program has received bi-partisan support. Governor Fletcher's Ag. Policy Bd supported its extension and Governor-elect Beshear expressed strong interest in this program on his campaign web site during the election campaign. Hopefully Gov. B's support will continue and this will translate into even great support for this teriffic program.