The Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development at Illinois State University

Illinois State University’s Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development is dedicated to public service and global understanding. The Center serves communities and organizations around the world, students as they seek the tools for careers in community and economic development, the related fields of study, and Illinois State University. Beginning in 1994 as a Peace Corps Fellows Program, the Stevenson Center continues to administer an interdisciplinary graduate sequence for students pursuing careers in community and economic development. We facilitate the curriculum, including the required, year-long internship experience and off-campus graduate assistantships. Additionally, the Center provides direct service to communities in the form of economic impact analyses and forecasting, grant-writing training, and geographic information systems analysis. Affiliated faculty are active in the scholarship of community and economic development (e.g., local economic development policy, community supported agriculture, and rural school closure). Faculty research projects make their way into the classroom, reinforcing the quality of the educational experience.