Register for the April 25 University-Community Forum in Cavalier

The eighth annual Community Connect Forum, coordinated by the University of North Dakota Center for Community Engagement, will be held on Saturday, April 25, in Cavalier, N.D., which is 80 miles north of Grand Forks. Community members, faculty, and students from around the region are invited for this year’s theme of “Strong Communities.”

Registration will run from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Cavalier Movie Theater. The event is free and open to the public. Transportation for UND participants will leave the Memorial Union at 6:30 a.m.

The Forum will feature keynote speaker Becky McCray, who will talk about building strong communities and the “10 trends in our favor.” McCray is a nationally recognized expert on helping small communities become strong.

The 2015 program will focus on helping small towns become stable and vibrant, and it will be organized around three key focus areas: “Strong Civic Engagement,” “Strong Civic Infrastructure,” and “Strong Community Culture.” The Forum will provide opportunities for networking with other communities from across the region. There will also be an “art walk” and a “cash mob” in the afternoon.

The 2015 Forum will be hosted at several different Cavalier venues, including the Cavalier Movie Theater, Pembina County Courthouse, and the Cavalier Senior Center. The closing ceremonies will be held at the Pembina County Historical Society Museum, with music by Sneaky Wild Oats.

The forum is free and open to the public. Transportation provided for UND participants will leave the Memorial Union at 6:30 a.m. Registration information is available at www.communityengagement.und.edu . The website includes a schedule of the day’s events and a copy of the 2015 newsletter, Conversations for Communities. For more information, please call 701.777.0675.

About the Center: The UND Center for Community Engagement links academic resources with community needs by connecting students and faculty to teaching and research projects off campus. It was created by an act of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education in 2004. The Center serves as a catalyst for faculty and students to learn from and with nonprofit organizations, rural communities, tribal communities, and other public partners through local and regional initiatives.

About Community Connect: The Community Connect project provides opportunities for rural communities to work together with UND faculty and students on the challenges and opportunities in our region.