This article was originally posted in ARML City &Town magazine.

As community leaders, we are always looking for ways to kick-start development and progress at the local-level. Ideally, we are searching for how to generate positive impacts with limited capacity, shoestring budgets, and minimal resources. The term most often used to describe what we are looking for is “low-hanging fruit;” the obvious or easy things that can be most readily done or dealt with in achieving success or making progress toward an objective.

There is a multitude of low-hanging fruit we can “pick” so it can be tough to determine what direction is right. Sometimes the best way forward is to start with a fresh perspective. To answer questions such as: 1) How is our community perceived? 2) What unique assets do we have to offer? 3) How can we improve in the future?

A tool that is a perfect fit for communities who want the answers to those questions is a First Impressions Tour (FIT) assessment. A First Impressions Tour (FIT) is an assessment tool that can provide a community with an unbiased perspective of its strengths and weaknesses. The assessment is truly a “first impression” of a community. Groups of community leaders will swap places for a day to complete an assessment of one another’s communities using the First Impressions Tour assessment tool (developed by our team at the University of Central Arkansas; or you can make your own assessment tool).��

After exploring one another’s communities, each group takes their findings and shares them via a report and debrief meeting. The information gathered can be used to provide general direction for future community and economic development efforts by identifying broad categories of community assets and/or areas for growth. Exploring another community also allows for opportunities to benchmark and exercise R&D (ripoff and duplicate) efforts.

A FIT assessment includes information gathered through various avenues: demographic and market data, discussion with community leaders and citizens, online assessment, a driving tour, and on-the-street resident interviews. This information is compiled into a simple report that analyzes a community’s online, physical, social, and economic infrastructure and provides a list of possible next steps. The two groups of leaders have opportunities to connect and network with one another as well.

Recently leaders in the City of Prairie Grove and City of Harrison participated in a First Impressions Tour assessment. The two leadership groups consisted of Mayor David Faulk of Prairie Grove, Mayor Jerry Jackson of Harrison, Wilson Marseilles of the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce, Taryn Golden of the Prairie Grove Chamber of Commerce, and various business owners, city staff, and residents. The groups traveled to one another’s communities during day trips, completed online searches of Harrison and Prairie Grove, participated in virtual introduction and debrief sessions, and worked with our staff at BT����to develop final reports of one another’s findings.

CEO of the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce Wilson Marseilles believes that First Impressions Tour assessments are beneficial because they can uncover blind spots and provide confirmation from outside experts. Marseilles said, “At the beginning of the program we thought we would learn more about our blind spots, and while we found a couple of those, the most beneficial part of the assessment was discovering that our community has already been proactive in a lot of areas. The FIT helped confirm the areas we should double down on, such as: downtown planning, creating a strong merchants association, hospitality/customer service training, and pedestrian connectivity planning.”

Marseilles also shared that an unexpected result of participation in the FIT process was the bonding their local team experienced.��

“While spending the day together, our leadership team conversed at length about the community we were discovering and our own community. The experience allowed us the opportunity to enhance the chemistry of our local community development team. Using this experience as a tool to bring our leaders together will continue to benefit us in the future because community development is a team sport,” he shared.

Mayor David Faulk described the experience as something all municipalities need to consider partaking in.��

He said, “The First Impressions Tour was a non-biased look into what a visitor sees and experiences while in our city. In this case, the visitors were professional peers with backgrounds in city planning, business, and marketing. The First Impression Tour provided insights that are invaluable to the growth of our city. We have already started incorporating the advice offered to improve the overall experience in Prairie Grove.”

A First Impressions Tour assessment takes minimal funding (gas and lunch costs) and time commitment, but provides high impact. The assessment can remove our blinders so we can see our community in a new, fresh way, develop new connections, and uncover new opportunities.

You can review and utilize UCA’s First Impressions Tour assessment packet for free at .

By Dr. Shaneil Ealy

At the beginning of 2018, I attended a vision board workshop. We were tasked with writing down goals for the year and all I could think about was that I wanted to “just breathe”. I wanted to simply exhale. I wanted to be more present. I wanted to slow down and enjoy the fruits of my labor. I had pursued a doctorate degree for 10 years while maintaining a demanding job at UCA, having two sons, supporting my husband in starting his own business and running a small catering business on the side. All I wanted to do was breathe. So, Felicia Johnson, the instructor of the workshop asked me what it meant to breathe. I couldn’t quite articulate it at the time. So she asked me what life looks like when I’m not breathing. Deep sigh … “Oh, that’s good,” I thought.

I had no idea how 2018 would challenge me, promote me, humble me and make me grieve. I had no idea how bad I would really need to breathe by the end of 2018. I used the word “breathe” as my mantra for the year. I placed the word in bold letters across my vision board. I created a bracelet with the word “breathe” and I wore it as a visual reminder to exhale often. I read articles, memes, blogs and anything I could get my hands on that related to breathing. Last fall, I even participated in an online Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer and the title was Breathe: Making room for Sabbath. So, here I am at the beginning of 2019 still learning what it means to breathe and disciplining myself to create breathing space.

Here’s what I have learned on my journey to breathe:

1. Breathing room is the space or margin we create in our lives to rest.
   Rest is different for everyone. Your breathing room will provide space for you to meditate, worship, listen, read, create or just relax and rest.
2. Taking time to rest does not mean you are lazy!
   Many women think if they aren’t busy meeting, creating, or producing that they are not effective or can be perceived as lazy. Resting provides just as much value to your life. I took the day off yesterday to celebrate my birthday- something I don’t think I have ever done. I felt so good just allowing myself a day to breathe and to enjoy whatever I wanted. I wish someone had told me to do this years ago!
3. We sacrifice our breathing room for FOMO (fear of missing out).
   We compromise our time for ourselves to rest and rejuvenate because of our fear of missing something. We suffocate under responsibilities and expectations! We can’t miss the meeting, lunch, church service, game, we can’t unplug from social media, etc. because of fear of missing out or fear of what others may think. Practice saying, “No.” No is a complete sentence.
4. Learn to savor the small things and small moments.
   I recently read an article about how to become more present. The author suggested that we set an alarm on our phones to remind us to pause and savor the small things throughout the day. You can close your eyes and think of one small thing you are grateful for. Or you can look around and notice one thing you are grateful for. It can be as simple as being grateful for the small heater that is keeping me warm in my office right now or to be surrounded by fifty shades of orange in my office because it just makes me smile.
5. If you make the wrong choice, you can make another choice.
   Sometimes we obsess over decisions to the point of experiencing anxiety and restlessness. It’s okay. If you make the wrong choice the first time, you can make another choice. It’s that simple. Just breathe.
6. Breathing room allows me to provide grace to others.
   When I have allowed myself some breathing space, I find that I am more patient with my sons, husband and everyone really. Because I’m not in a state of anxiousness and chaos, I think more clearly. I hear my thoughts and the deep desires of my heart. Oftentimes, I am just filled with so much gratitude that it opens my heart to give. Maybe it’s not monetary, maybe it’s sending a friend a “thinking of you” card or text.

While I would normally stress over having an odd number of points to share (Really?! 6 points instead of 5?), I am taking the time to just breathe. Feels good.

Enjoy your journey,

Dr. Shaneil Ealy
Associate Vice President
Outreach & Community Engagement

By Taylor Trevizo

In today’s society, women are constantly being subjected to expectations about beauty, relationships, careers and more. It’s hard to find and maintain self-worth when we live in fear of whether we’re meeting societal standards of what it means to be a woman. It can be hard, but in order to find our value and worth as women, we have to look within ourselves, not out at the world.

Self-worth will set rules that tell others how to treat you. It will show others what you see in yourself, and what you expect from them. With self-worth comes confidence, esteem and personal growth. We are often our own worst critic, but by digging a little deeper and following these five tips, you’ll be able to see all the good you bring into the world.

1. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others.
No matter how hard you try, you’ll never feel worthy if you don’t kick the habit of comparing yourself to others. It’s something we all do and it becomes increasingly easier thanks to social media. We’re exposed to pictures of other people’s lives-their vacations, their clothing, their achievements. It can make us feel like we’re less successful, leaving us wanting something we don’t have.

If this sounds like you, take a break from social media or at least be mindful of when you do this. Remember, we only post our best lives for the world to see. We all experience setbacks, hardships, and low self-esteem. Take the time to think about what you do have and be appreciative for that.

2. Do What Makes You Feel Good.
Society will always tell women that we should wear more or less makeup, be skinnier or curvier, or dress a certain way. Your self-worth is not derived from meeting these standards! And if you live your life trying, you’ll never be fulfilled.

Your self-worth stems from doing what makes you feel good. If that means wearing lipstick, go for it. If it means becoming a CEO, don’t stop until you meet those goals! People will always have an opinion about what you should do. You can’t make everyone happy, but you can make yourself happy if you ask yourself what you want.

3. Make Things Happen.
Now that you know what you want, go get it! Things won’t always come easy, but if you try and keep trying, you will make progress. Confidence develops when we overcome challenges. Don’t give up because you failed once. Or twice. Or a hundred times! There is always room for improvement.

4. Don’t Beat Yourself Up.
Negative self-talk will do you no good. Maybe you told yourself you’d go for a run but then got too busy. Maybe you missed a deadline for no reason other than you totally forgot! Guess what? It happens. We are all human. Don’t sweat the small stuff and don’t beat yourself up about it. Self-improvement isn’t a once-in-a-lifetime shot. It’s a work in progress, so enjoy the ride.

5. Only You Can Define You.
No matter what you do, remind yourself that there is no right or wrong way to be you. When we learn how to be ourselves, a new world will open up. Explore new hobbies, interests and possibilities. Welcome trial and error into your life!

Taylor Trevizo
Senior
Professional Writing Major
Intern
Outreach and Community Engagement

Blog��Post – July 30, 2018

By Dr. Taine Duncan

Contrary to popular belief, as a professor, my summer is not full of free time and vacation. It is still a time where I must work on research, usually teach a few extra courses to help student scheduling, and a time for professional development. However, it is also a time where I must be especially mindful to challenge myself to develop a productive and re-energizing routine. And in working out those routines over the years, I’ve discovered a few things.

First, I’ve realized that I do better staying on track with research and feeling productive when I create networks for accountability. In the past, I’ve done women’s research groups, had a specific writing partner, or enrolled in development programs with their own schedules. This helps me, as well, to better carve out space for the summer scheduling of family commitments.
Second, I’ve found that even when I do schedule productive space, I often struggle to break the monotony of routine. If I get into the rut of routine, my work and growth stagnate.
Finally, I’ve identified that I work best when I not only push myself but when I collaborate with others.

I suspect that this struggle to get through the doldrums of summer—to balance productivity and rejuvenation—is not unique to being a professor. I’d bet that many women feel the worry of midyear doldrums—whether because of the fiscal year end, or because kids are suddenly on new schedules, or because it is a time for reflection.

These midyear doldrums are like a little microcosm of mid-career/mid-path doldrums. There are points in our lives and choices where we reflect and realize that we must make a choice to actively push ourselves, to get out of rutted routines or unproductive loops. And, I suspect, that just like my mid-summer malaise is helped when I collaborate with others and we push each other to grow, so, too, might our mid-path doldrums benefit from collaboration.

The Women’s Leadership Network has certainly benefited from collaboration. Just recently, WLN merged with Women In Networking to create one of the largest women’s networks in central Arkansas. The benefit of this collaboration is diversity in ideas, careers and life experiences. All the things that make WLN such a rich and fortifying group.

Dr. Taine Duncan
Associate Professor and Director of Gender Studies
WLN Founding Committee Member
University of Central Arkansas

Patti Stobaugh, owner of Conway, Arkansas-based PattiCakes Bakery, is 10 years into her “encore career” and loving every minute of it. She left the corporate accounting world knowing she wanted to do something different. Achieving her dream of giving Conway a 100 percent from-scratch bakery has been an arduous task, but she’s almost there.

Patti and her husband David own PattiCakes Bakery and Stoby’s Restaurants together. Stoby’s is an Arkansas legend, and one-time winner of World Cheese Dip Competition. “My husband is my partner – in business and life! We complement each other well… it’s just hard to set work down when we go home!” say Stobaugh.

Patti holds an accounting degree from Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas. After graduating from Lyon, Patti worked in a number of different industries before moving on to become the CFO of Arkansas One Call, Arkansas’s utility damage prevention company.

After leaving Arkansas One Call, Patti decided to open a bakery in Russellville, across the street from one of their restaurants. The Russellville bakery saw much success, and a piece of property came open behind Stoby’s in Conway. Patti then decided to open a bakery in Conway. The Conway bakery saw much success and astoundingly fast growth. After spending a year working both bakeries, Patti made the difficult decision to sell the Russellville bakery to focus on the Conway store and spend more time with her family.

David and Patti love their community and try hard to give back. Patti is the past president of Haven House, a refuge home for women who are victims of domestic abuse. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce��and also serves on the committee to develop Midtown Conway. In 2015, Patti was also asked to join the Board of Directors for the Retail Bakers of America. Patti and David are also active supporters of Bethlehem House in Conway.

Since then, Patti’s life has changed a great deal. Her sons have both married young women she loves. “Alex and his wife Sara made me the happiest Grammy alive 3 years ago. My grandson, Tucker, gets my afternoons 3 days a week. It’s a great time to step away from the bakery and focus on family. We’re looking forward to David and his wife Melanie adding more grandchildren to the mix, in due time. Being Grammy is my favorite job – there’s nothing like it!”

Patti is excited for the future of PattiCakes and Stoby’s. “I hope we are able to continue the phenomenal growth of the bakery, continue adding new products and making our customers the happiest in Conway.” Patti is currently working on the rebuild of Stoby’s, and is excited about marrying the classic Stoby’s that Conway loves with some new ideas.

Established in 1987, the Community Development Institute-Central (CDI) trains community and economic development professionals through a combination of lectures, small group discussions, simulations and individual projects, each focused on best practices and current trends in the industry.

The most notable additions to this year’s CDI are two new simulations, the Futures Game Simulation and��Miller County��Simulation, each designed as eye-opening experiences through unique hands-on learning activities.

Participants leave the institute with an enhanced ability to assess their community, build the capacity of community leaders to collaborate on development efforts, and set goals to improve their community’s quality of life and place.

Mayor Gary Baxtor, CDI Class of 2013 believes his experiences at CDI have provided him with the tools to bring economic development and community development together. “After attending CDI Central for two years, I have taken back to my community valuable ideas and techniques that I have put into action, some almost immediately,” said Mayor Baxtor.

The complete CDI experience is a three-year training program, with one week of training per year. Participants progress through the program curriculum in cohorts and are exposed to a comprehensive, applied approach to the field of community and economic development.

For more information, visit uca.edu/cdi.

Constant changes in the workplace and an aging population have created major new opportunities in adult education. This new market is already significantly larger than the for-credit higher education market, and demand for adult education and training will continue to outpace supply for some time.

The ed2go network consists of more than 2,100 top colleges, universities, and other organizations. They offer hundreds of engaging non-credit online courses, covering every topic from Accounting to Web Design. Each course consists of a patient and caring instructor, lively discussions, knowledge checks and plenty of practical information that you can put to immediate use.

All ed2go courses are entirely online, which can be taken from the comfort of your home or office at the times that are most convenient to you. Courses begin monthly and run for six weeks; each week composed of two lessons for a total of 12 lessons. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to download a certificate of completion.

Ed2go courses are affordable, fun, convenient and geared towards your interests. It may be as basic as Discover Digital Photography or as complex as Intermediate QuickBooks 2013, but there is one absolute: ed2go can get you there! We suggest you to determine whether ed2go is right for you.

To register for a class, go to , search for the course you’d like to take and hit Enroll Now. Please contact Lawana Hawkins at (501) 450-5811 with questions.

��

American Red Cross Adult and Pediatric CPR/AED

Would you know what to do if your loved one stopped breathing? Knowing how to respond in an emergency situation could help save a life. Emphasizing hands-on learning, this course incorporates the latest science, designed to teach you how to respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies for victims of any age, including…

American Red Cross CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and Healthcare Providers

This course is designed to train professional-level rescuers to respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies in adults, children and infants, until advanced medical personnel arrive. Those with a professional duty to act, including professional rescuers and medical and public safety workers, will gain the skills needed to…

American Red Cross CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and Healthcare Providers Review

This course is an abbreviated CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and Healthcare Providers course that briefly reviews course information and allows for the practice of skills before testing. To be eligible to participate in a review course… [Read More]

American Red Cross Family First Aid

Faced with a sudden injury of a family member, would you know what to do until medical assistance arrives? From burns to broken bones, you will gain the skills and confidence to to provide immediate care to adult, child and infant family members. This interactive course includes lessons on how to respond to breathing emergencies and common first aid emergencies…

Health

• Adult and Pediatric CPR/AED�� NEW!
• Beginning Tai Chi
• Burn & Chisel
• CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and Health Care Providers�� NEW!
• Family First Aid�� NEW!
• Positive Vibration Reggae Yoga�� NEW!
• Self-Hypnosis for Self-Help
• Smart Cycling

Business & Finance

• Entrepreneurship: Becoming a Businessperson
• Entrepreneurship: Developing Your Plan�� NEW!
• How to Write a Business Plan
• Resources for Starting a Small Business
• Project Management Practical Application ��NEW!
• Tending to Your Money Tree

Art

• Cake Decorating 1
• Cake Decorating 2
• Cake Decorating 3
• Ceramic Hand Building 1
• Ceramic Hand Building 2
• Ceramic Hand Building: Dinner for Two
• Painting in Acrylics 1
• Painting in Acrylics 2
• Photography: Basics
• Photography: Advanced
• Sew Unique Sewing- Beginner
• Sew Unique Sewing- Intermediate

Technology

• Arkansas Hunters’ Education
• Computer Cleanup
• Introduction to Computer Programming
• Web Development: Beginner
• Web Development: Advanced

Lifestyle

• The Alzheimer’s Journey
• Baby’s First Massage�� ��NEW!
• Basics of Disaster Preparedness
• Basic Horsemanship and Beginning Riding
• Etiquette 101 for Children
• Nurturing the Pregnant Couple�� NEW!

Pre-register by phone.

If you would like to pre-register for any of these courses and reserve your seat, please call Lawana Hawkins at 501-450-5811.

Would you like to receive our catalog?

For those of your interested in receiving our catalog via mail, fill out a catalog request form! You can also select the option to sign up for our mailing list and be the first to know when registration opens online.

Outreach is offering NEW community education classes for the spring!

Self-Hypnosis, Film Studies and Adobe Illustrator are just a few of our newest offerings, all open to the general public.

Registration for spring course offerings is open now. Find a course that interests you!

New Spring Courses:

A very in-depth course on understanding how films produce meaning and elicit responses through the recognition and analysis of film language and reviews and discussion of various films within the history of motion pictures. Taught by BT����and Hendrix professor, Dr. Glenn Jellenik.

Uncover the myths and discover the many benefits of self-hypnosis. With expert instruction, you will learn the basic mechanics and techniques that can help contribute to an improved quality of life.

Gain the tools and skills necessary for starting a new business, including analyzing factors associating with success, developing a business plan, and the importance of marketing, insurance, accounting and management for a small business.

In this hands-on, instructor-led course, you will learn the fundamental tools of Adobe Illustrator to complete a finished digital illustration, logo or design. Taught by BT����alumni, Jasmine Greer.

Learn the basics of computer programing; including formal and informal languages, various functions, executions and lists. By the end of the course, you will have practiced programming tasks and created two functioning computer programs.

An introduction to using charcoal as a drawing medium. Translate three-dimensional information onto a two-dimensional surface while working from a still-life set up.

With just a mirror and a hammer, recognized artist Jimmy McDonald will teach you how to create beautiful art abstracts.

A three-part session designed to help educate those seeking emotional enrichment. Part one focuses on anxiety, depression, fear and anger. Part two is centered around guilt, worry, gratitude and stress. Part three covers communication and defining success. All sessions emphasize ways to change those states of being.