VERMILLION, S.D. -- A year after Greening Vermillion was awarded a grant to develop a vision for the community, the nonprofit organization is putting the final touches on the project and soon will release a booklet outlining community members’ hopes for the city’s future.
In June 2015, Greening Vermillion was awarded a South Dakota Community Foundation Community Innovation Grant. The organization received $9,250 to look at the best parts of the community and help direct people to think forward and agree on an inspiring vision for the city.
The effort included more than a dozen “visioning sessions” and a larger Visioning Vermillion Day over the past year. The group has talked to more than 1,000 area residents to better understand what kind of specific changes people want for the community.
Meghann Jarchow, Ph.D., sustainability coordinator and assistant professor at the University of South Dakota, works as the project director and aims to expand the conversation about planning for the future of the community. “Visioning can help us focus on seeing seeds of where our vision is already happening, rather than focusing on challenges in our current situation,” she said.
The booklet, “Visioning Vermillion: Shared Stories of Our Future,” should be released by the end of August.