The Florida Economic Gardening Institute (FEGI) provides access to Economic Gardening certification and professional development through the National Center for Economic Gardening at the Edward Lowe Foundation. FEGI is a Level III certified organization and is the official statewide organization for Economic Gardening in Florida. FEGI coordinates the initiatives of the Florida Economic Gardening Network of organizations throughout Florida that support the Economic Gardening philosophies and techniques at the local level.
Purposes
- The National Center for Economic Gardening program certification has three purposes
- To encourage the Economic Gardening movement– an entrepreneurial approach to economic development. (Level I)
- To encourage communities to begin using EG tools and concepts and to experiment with new tools and concepts (Level II)
- To ensure high fidelity programs that use the concepts, tools and practices proven to produce jobs and wealth. (Level III)
Definitions
Level I programs (support of the entrepreneurial movement) have a general interest in the local entrepreneurial movement and have publicly stated support for the “growth from within” rationale for economic development. These programs support entrepreneurship activity primarily at the start up and early stage levels. They share values and objectives with programs like Main Street, sustainability, and local foods. Level 1 programs support the movement and philosophy of Economic Gardening but do not practice the core techniques or pursue the targeted objectives of a full fidelity level III program. To be considered for level I certification programs must have a local representative certified as an Economic Gardening Program Director by the National Center for Economic Gardening (NCEG).
Level II programs (experimentation) are active in local entrepreneurship support but tend to focus on start-ups, stage I companies, and local market retail and service businesses rather than stage II growth companies. They may provide other types of entrepreneurial support services and experiment with new tools and concepts. They may include SBDC, chamber of commerce programs, existing business assistance programs but show progress in using Economic Gardening tools, principles and practices targeting growth oriented companies. To be considered for level II certification programs must have a certified program director as described in Level I, and at least one local representative with Professional Certification from NCEG as either a Team Leader or as an EG Specialist.
Level III programs (full fidelity) require full fidelity to the Economic Gardening concept including use of all tools, concepts and practices. The focus is on the strategic issues of stage II growth companies (urban track) or the strategic issues of high potential growth companies that export innovations (rural track). To be considered for Level III Certification programs must have a certified Program Director and at least 3 local representatives with professional certification as team leaders, or EG specialists and a clearly defined relationship with the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (FEGI) for access to EG hub services.
If you have any questions, please contact Tammie Nemecek, Director of Partner Development at the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at [email protected] or Jessica Nelson, Operations Manager, National Center for Economic Gardening at the Edward Lowe Foundation at [email protected].
Next Professional Development Session:
Program Director – deadline for registration is May 4, 2012
Important links:
Program Certification Standards for Florida
Program Director Training
