CHS students on the road…

Nine senior students from Corsica High School, accompanied by their English teacher Mrs. Eide, took a field trip last Wednesday to visit a few members of the design:SD team at work. The student have been working with the RLC and members of the design:SD team to prepare for the charrette on May 16-19. The field trip gave students an opportunity to see architects, construction workers, and planners in their natural environment!

The first stop on the trip was at TSP architecture firm in Sioux Falls (visit their website at www.teamtsp.com). The students learned about what architects do, what it takes to become an architect, and also about how architects must work with engineers, construction companies, and clients in order to do their work. After a tour of the office, the students visited a job site with Elizabeth (architect) and Marv (construction manager, pictured left below) from TSP.

On the way to Planning and Development District III, students caught a glimpse of one of the great examples of neighborhood design in Sioux Falls at McKennan Park. The houses are a showcase for how a neighborhood can look when you are intentional about creating a sense of community.

What would a field trip be without food? We stopped in Tea on our way to Planning and Development District III at the Pizza Ranch for lunch. A nap was had by most as we headed to Yankton with bellies full of chicken, pizza, and dessert pizza!

At our visit to District III (see their website at www.districtiii.org) we all learned what can be done with GIS mapping and GPS units. Eric and Harry from District III were kind enough to entertain us with videos of 3-D applications for GIS mapping as well as other examples of what GIS technology is being used for. Students learned how dispatch offices are using GIS mapping to locate emergencies and the fastest way to respond.

A big thanks to TSP and District III for taking time to teach about what they do! See more pictures of students on the field trip below!

Pie and Ideas

Things got off to a rough start for us Tuesday night at the Dessert and Design event held at the Corsica Grade School. Thanks to the school district’s janitorial staff and Mr. Muckey for helping us get our disaster averted. For most attendees, it jus tmeant we got off to a bit of a late start. That just meant more time to eat pie and ice cream from Cheryl’s Bakery and the Travel Plaza! (Mucho gracias to Sylvia and Birdie for organizing and serving!!)

We introduced folks to some of the design:SD team members, talked about how the whole event will work in May, and about who will be coming. We’re still looking for a few more families willing to host a team member or two from May 16-19 (three nights). You won’t even need to feed them, just provide a bed and some hospitality. If you’re interested in opening your home to the team, contact Rose Lauck.

We heard from the CHS senior class on their survey of the community and involvement with the design:SD project, and started the local “Photo Relay” project. We also put people to work on Tuesday night. We brainstormed and shared visions for the future of the Corsica region. The 60-plus people in attendance split into eight teams, and came up with ideas like:

• a new daycare and preschool,
• an ethnic festival,
• entrepreneurial (how to start a local business) classes in local schools,
• build a wind farm,
• area towns working together
  

Photo Relay begins at “Dessert and Design” event tonight!

Design:SD is coming to the Corsica area, but before the team gets here, the regional community has a little work to do. The design team is inviting area residents to take photos of three kinds of places in this region: places you love, places you don’t like, and places you think are special or important. The camera distribution will kickoff at the “Dessert and Design” community gathering on April 24th at the Corsica Grade School gymnasium. Free pie, ice cream and refreshments will be served at 7:00 p.m.

The cameras will be passed throughout the community and used to determine which areas should be showcased or focused on during the design visit in May. Should you have the cameras passed to you, simply follow the instructions included in the bag and keep the cameras rolling. To see a copy of the directions, click here.

The photo relay will run from April 24-May 9. If you would like to be involved in the relay, please contact Lindsey at the Rural Learning Center via email at lindsey.karlson@rlcenter.net or by phone at (605) 772-5139.

The design:SD planning team has tied up the loose ends on the schedule for May 16-19 in Corsica. You can see a color-coded schedule by clicking the picture below. Don’t forget the Official Kickoff event on April 24 at the Grade School Gym. It’s your chance to share your visions for the future and be part of this historic process for the region!

See the design:SD schedule!

CHS Seniors Help Out Design Team

As you know, Corsica will become the first ever design: SD community. The CHS Senior English class is using this unique opportunity to be involved in something that matters to their community while meeting academic standards. By participating in this kind of real world education, CHS seniors discover first hand how important research, writing, and communication skills are to the success of this project.

The seniors are responsible for creating survey questions and for collecting data that will be important to the design team in helping the community create its vision. Collecting data through survey questions and discussion, attending design team and community meetings along with photographing various points of interest around Corsica are just a few ways CHS seniors are contributing to this project. Meeting deadlines, utilizing technology, and working with a wide variety of professional people is a great way to experience the real world while giving helping their community.

To help gather community and input the CHS seniors have created an online survey. To give your ideas and input to the design team please click here. The preliminary results of the survey will be reported by the students at the “Dessert and Design” gathering on Tuesday, April 24^th at 7:00pm in the Corsica grade school gym.

“Dessert and Design” Event Kicks Off design:SD Project

Tuesday, April 24th will mark the official local kickoff for design:SD, Project Corsica. Please join members of the South Dakota design team for an evening of “Dessert and Design” from 7:00 to 8:30pm on April 24th in the Corsica grade school gym. The evening gathering begins the three week countdown to the design:SD event that will be held May 16-19. Dessert and coffee will be served while the design team describes the project and what it means for the Corsica region. Area residents will discuss what ideas and dreams they have for the future of the Corsica region. Those ideas will help create the foundation of the design team’s visit in May.

Corsica and the surrounding region is the first-ever design:SD project community. The event will draw 20-30 professionals from all walks of design and community development to the region to visually express local dreams for the future. The design team will spend three intense days in the area learning, listening, and drawing what locals want the community and region to look like in years to come. The design event will help people of the Corsica region dream about the future, with special emphasis on the importance of design in building a vision we can all share.

The success of design:SD, Project Corsica relies on your involvement in the process. Please join members of the design team on Tuesday, April 24th to learn more about becoming involved in this special event. To view the event flyer, click here.

Lindsey Karlson, RLC

Update on Our Work

Hard to believe that it has been six months already since Corsica area leaders invited us, The Rural Learning Center, to begin partnering with you about the future. We have formally interviewed over 80 people and had hundreds of other conversations and meetings about a lot of different things – visions for the future, business ideas, creative concepts about building new homes, leadership development strategies, etc. etc. It has been exciting for us to interact with members of the City Council, School Board, Commercial Club, County Commission, Corsica Foundation, Development Corporation, the Housing Commission and other organizations doing outstanding work. No question that the Corsica region has a great “volunteer army.” Our work centers around enabling this “army” to more effectively articulate its visions, work together, and get things done. The next “big thing” will be the Design SD:Project Corsica May 16-19. We are co-sponsoring this event with the Corsica Commercial Club and working to get strong participation from across the region. Public participation in this event actually begins with an informational meeting at the Corsica grade school gym on the evening of April 24th.

Those of us who love and believe in rural South Dakota know that we have significant and difficult challenges in front of us. We are all in this for the long haul. Our pioneer foremothers and forefathers were amazing entrepreneurs who figured out how to successfully adapt to a very difficult environment – we can do it again. We at the Rural Learning Center are honored and energized by our partnership with the good folks of this region. Keep in touch and let us know how we can work with you to realize your dreams.

Thanks for the opportunity,

Jim Beddow, The Rural Learning Center

Douglas County Commissioners hear about design:SD

Jim Beddow and I visited about the design:SD project with the Douglas County Commissioners in Armour yesterday morning. We talked about the regional impact the project can make, and particularly about transportation routes and Corsica Lake.

We also had lunch with leaders of the Armour Horizons project at the Blue Moon, and met with Nancy Barrick at the Conservation District. Nancy provided some great watershed maps for the team, and we signed her up for a presentation during the charrette. The Horizons team has done some great work in Armour, and we invited them to take part in design:SD too.

This may be a great opportunity to point something out–design:SD Project Corsica is not just about Corsica, SD!!The team will provide an outside look at the whole region, including all of Douglas County. There are many treasures and assets in Douglas County that don’t just belong to Corsica folks, so it’s great to get the Commissioners and the Armour Horizons program into the mix.

Thanks for the hospitality, Armour!

By the way, comments are always open and welcome. Just share your thoughts or ideas by clicking on “COMMENTS.”

Joe Bartmann, The Rural Learning Center