Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) in Practice
We believe in, practice, and utilize the lens of asset-based community development
where every Arkansan is valued for their contribution to their community’s growth.
We work alongside county agents, teaching and training ABCD as a lens in ways that
strengthen local approaches to community development and strengthen agents’ work in
the county.
- Asset-Based Community Development emerged from a growing critique of a need-based or problem-solving approach
- Individuals and communities have assets and capacities.
ABCD Resources
We offer Asset-Based Community Development training for any community or county. A chapter on Asset-Based Community Development in an Extension context is part of the Community Development Essentials for Extension Practitioners curriculum developed through the Southern Rural Development Center in 2026.
ABCD and Grant Writing
Using ABCD as an applied tool for community members, the University of Arkansas Division
of Agriculture (UADA) has taught a Capacity Building through Grant Writing course
for communities, hosted by the county Extension office in partnership with the local
Community Foundation as well as the planning and economic development district. Utilizing
a grant writing curriculum developed in partnership with the Southern Rural Development
Center (SRDC) and adapted for an Arkansas context, institutions and individuals come
together for a six-hour workshop. Participants gain an understanding of mission and
focus relative to their funding goals, develop a SMART goal outlining the proposed
grant-funded project, define win-win partnerships and relationship development, navigate
ways to finding a grant opportunity, explore components of writing the narrative,
create a logic model for the proposed project, and understand budget development and
financial management.
A Cross-Unit Collaboration to Strengthen an Existing Model
The Extension Health Ambassadors program is an example of how cross-departmental collaboration
can strengthen impact in communities when we work together. The Family and Consumer
Sciences (FCS) Health team developed and led a successful Health and Wellness Ambassadors
program in the past. The team sought to strengthen the model focused on health best
practices with a community development and engagement community. In 2022, the Community,
Professional, and Economic Development (CPED) and FCS partnered to add an ABCD component
to the Extension Health and Wellness program model.
ABCD is used to recruit volunteers and sustain a place-based, community-focused process that results in a relationship-driven approach, realizing that each community responds in different ways and has different resources. In recruiting volunteers, we will build a systematic approach to identifying challenges, building upon opportunities in the community, building on relationships, and adopting solutions.
Extension Health Ambassadors play an essential role in championing public health initiatives, supporting better health practices, and building trust within their communities.
Arkansas has 22 volunteer Extension Health Ambassadors in six counties (Clark, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Mississippi, Phillips, and Pope), who implemented their vision of a stronger community with a focus on health best practices.