Community Development in Rural Illinois: Lessons Learned

he following paper is a synopsis, examination, and reflection of my experience as a Peace Corps Fellow in the Applied Community and Economic Development Program at Illinois State University. Compiling and examining the experiences of my class work and practical experience have not been an easy chore. However, a more daunting task has been the reflection on my Peace Corps experience that lead me to Illinois State University and this program, the graduate classes and education I received here, and the application of that knowledge and experience in my professional practice. In an attempt to structure this paper I found myself confronted with the task of weeding through all the lessons I have learned to frame the ones I have found most valuable and will continue to utilize in the future