National Partners

Partners

The Llano Grande Center for Research and Development has many national partners that contribute to our work, and at the same time, create opportunities for us to share our experience and expertise in collaborative national projects.

Center for Rural Strategies – The Center for Rural Strategies is a public-spirited communications organization that seeks to improve rural life by increasing public understanding about the importance and value of rural communities. Llano Grande has worked with Rural Strategies on several initiatives supporting policy formation and implementation benefiting rural America. To learn more about our most recent work to create a national movement to advance rural policy, please visit www.ruralassembly.org.

Center for Ethical Leadership – The Center for Ethical Leadership has worked closely with Llano Grande, particularly in support of the work created during the Kellogg Leadership for Community Change initiative. With a mission to inspire and develop ethical leadership within individuals, organizations and communities to advance the common good, CEL and Llano Grande have worked together to create leadership opportunities for people and organizations across the United States and to learn from each other about what leadership looks like in communities. In May 2008, approximately 30 people from across the country attended the inaugural Kellogg Leadership for Community Change University (KLCCU) meeting hosted by Llano Grande.

Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum – The partnership with the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum sprang up by chance in 2006, when one of the museum’s consultants met our students who were presenting their work on renovating a local park at a conference. Since then, we have partnered with Cooper-Hewitt to provide design education to our students as a way to approach community change initiatives.

North Dakota Study Group – The Llano Grande Center has participated in the North Dakota Study Group, an annual gathering of progressive educators to discuss issues of advocacy and evaluation in public schools, since 2001. In the last couple of years, Llano Grande has also helped coordinate and document these meetings.

Texas Folklife – Llano Grande has worked with Texas Folklife to train students, teachers and community members on the importance of preserving and displaying Texas folk culture. Through processes such as oral history collection and radio production, we have preserved our own history and culture and shared it with others.

Berkana Exchange – Since 2005, the Llano Grande Center has explored a relationship with the Berkana Exchange, where both organizations have shared ideas, beliefs and processes for helping to create communities that sustain themselves. These exchanges have resulted in students and staff traveling around the world to meet with groups who are doing similar work, and have had a powerful influence on the work that the Center does locally.