Since 1987, this Glynwood program has taken community stewardship directly
into the field—often with dramatic results.
Through the Countryside Exchange, teams of professionals—experts
in community planning, conservation, and economic development—help
selected communities, gain new perspectives on
issues of pressing concern, and generate new ideas, energy, and
capacity to address them.
The typical Exchange proceeds as follows:
- A full year before the visit, Glynwood staff members begin
selecting communities and team members.
- Each selected community creates a local organizing committee—representing
a diverse cross-section of interests—which
works with Glynwood staff to identify issues and
plan the Exchange week.
- During the Exchange week, team members visit the community, joining
with local leaders to examine the economic, social, and
environmental issues the community
had identified.
- At the end of the Exchange week, the team presents its observations
and recommendations at a community meeting.
- From then on, the local committee spearheads the
implementation of
team recommendations to fulfill the community's,
objectives.
- Glynwood staff members remain in contact to track
progress and provide technical support.
The focus—and pace—of
implementation efforts vary by community. Independent
evaluations have found that Countryside
Exchange has catalyzed community change, motivated planning for
the future, successfully developed local leadership, and sparked
communities to shape their own futures.
Nearly 1,000 professionals have served more
than 100 communities in the United States, Canada, Europe,
Japan, and the Netherlands on Exchange Teams. Thousands of
local leaders have participated during the exchange and with the
implementation that follows. We
invite you to read their stories—or
contact us with questions
about the Exchange.
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