Imagine standing at a crossroads where an old, empty industrial area becomes a thriving center of innovation and community. This isn’t simply bringing a place back to life—it’s true economic revitalization. And, as a current or future economic development professional, you can be right in the middle of this transformation.
However, as neighborhoods are reimagined through meaningful investments and sustainable growth, the question is: Do you and your team have the skills needed to drive this transformation?
Technology innovation, collaborative ecosystems, and new financing models have rewritten the rules, and today’s economic development professionals must be armed with cutting-edge skills and insights.
That’s where Grow America comes in. For more than 50 years, we’ve offered industry leading professional development training and certification programs that are as dynamic and forward-thinking as the communities you serve.
Training that bridges the gap between concepts and real world application
Grow America’s certification programs and courses bridge the gap between economic concepts and real-world application by applying training best practices and innovations honed through our decades of experience. Our approach addresses both conceptual understanding and practical application, with innovative methods that deliver practical skills for immediate impact.
Here’s what you can expect when you take a course or earn a certificate through Grow America:
Practitioners as instructors
Grow America’s courses are all taught by seasoned practitioners who have delivered measurable community impact including community and economic development officials, former bankers, developers, entrepreneurs, and government agency leaders.
This approach is critical, as economic development professionals face unique challenges that traditional academic or generic business training simply can’t address.
Case study-based learning
Case studies aren’t theoretical—they’re based on real-world examples from diverse communities across the country. By learning through real-life scenarios, you can develop problem solving skills and learn to apply solutions to actual economic development challenges.
Should a high-end blade manufacturer—whose skates were used in the Olympics—secure a new equipment loan? In Grow America’s Economic Development courses, participants examine real-world cases like this one, analyzing financial statements and weighing whether to move forward with a deal.
With this approach, students build the analytical and decision-making skills required to navigate complex financing challenges.
Interactive learning techniques
Classes feature interactive components including role playing activities that simulate stakeholder meetings and negotiations, peer feedback sessions that leverage diverse experiences and perspectives, and hands-on workshops to develop project plans and model results.
These activities are designed to keep our classes engaging and to improve your ability to retain the valuable information you learned.
Adult learning practices (andragogy)
Training that’s built on the principles of adult learning, or andragogy, respects your existing knowledge and connects learning to your immediate work challenges. This makes it relevant and applicable.
For example, in Real Estate Development Finance (ED202), aspiring underwriters and developers evaluate real-life development deals to learn how to structure financing that works in urban and rural communities.
Video-based training components
Videos help to bring concepts to life, from success stories with community leaders to virtual tours of development projects. These visual elements also support different learning styles and make complex concepts easier to understand.
Students experience video in action in our Asset Management: Unwinding LIHTC in Six Easy Steps course, where a video case study reinforces classroom learning by highlighting real-world success.
Gamification
Gamification is the practice of adding game-like elements to activities to make them more engaging, interesting, and motivating. For example, in our training courses we’ve used creating sandwiches and mixing cocktails as metaphors for larger-scale development processes.
These games tap into our natural human desire for achievement while making completing a course feel more rewarding and less like work (and, dare we say, fun!).
Impact of high-quality training: Measurable results
Here’s something to consider: survey results show that over 90% of our participants strongly agree that the material they learn has been or will be useful in their careers, and the majority of our students return for additional courses and certifications.
But most importantly, participants have used their skills and insights to impact billions of dollars in development projects in their communities—results that come from confidence and clarity around key-constituent buy-in and knowing when to invest, how to negotiate deals, and even when to pass for the good of the community.
Grow America training: Next-level opportunities
Are you ready to transform your skills? Explore Grow America’s course catalog today to find training opportunities that match your professional needs and goals. Then, register to join a community of forward-thinking development professionals dedicated to creating stronger and more resilient communities.