FiredUp: Have you heard about the ‘Howard miracle’?

If not, it’s time to learn about this “model of community planning” just down the highway: Howard, S.D.

A class project to look at how money is spent in the community turned into a revival movement that involved a significant percentage of the county and had measurable results: In the first year, local retail sales increased 41 percent. The involvement of young people was key to the movement’s success, since, as one community member said, when the young people come together to ask you to do something to improve your community, you are going to pay attention.

See what the Daily Yonder had to say about what has happened there. Could young people be the catalyst toward change in your community? If you are a young person, do you think you and your cohorts could match the Howard youth’s effect on the town? Comment below!

Caption for above photo: More than 500 people attended the grand opening of the Maroney Center in Howard, S.D., in August 2011, a project that resulted from years of community building. Image by Danielle Rosheim on the blog Forward THINKING.