Collaboration works best when you do it, not just talk about it. Join Dakota Resources and Deb Brown from SaveYour.Town for this four-session cohort in May and June where you’ll dive into real partnerships in your town. You’ll discover easy ways to start collaborations that keep delivering, learn how some local teams have worked together for decades even without grants, and see firsthand what happens in communities when economic development leaders, business leaders, local officials, and volunteers gather around the same table. You’ll learn real-world examples to help inspire you to see how collaboration can be used in your community to accomplish real outcomes—and you’ll actually design your own collaboration efforts and long-term working groups to take back to your community. You’ll walk away with fresh strategies, local success stories, and concrete next steps tailored to your rural community.

Come ready to create collaborations in your town, share your experiences, roadblocks, and questions. Every session includes discussion, peer feedback, and hands-on planning, so you leave not just with ideas, but with a collaboration already in motion and a stronger network to support it.

Sessions will take place from 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. CT on May 11, May 18, June 8, and June 15th. All sessions will be hosted on Zoom.

What is the difference between collaboration and cooperation?

Key Distinction
Collaboration involves working together toward a shared goal with joint ownership, deep interdependence, and co-creation of outcomes. Cooperation means individuals support each other on separate tasks or personal goals, often with less integration and individual accountability.

Ownership and Effort
In collaboration, the team shares responsibility for the final result, pooling ideas and resources from the start—like designing a community project where everyone shapes the vision. Cooperation keeps ownership individual; you help a colleague finish their part, but focus remains on personal deliverables.

Communication and Depth
Collaboration demands frequent communication, brainstorming, and alignment, fostering innovation through ongoing input. Cooperation can succeed with minimal check-ins, like handing off info without deep discussion.

How each session works:

Welcome
Debrief
Topic presented
Facilitated Discussion
Cohort Engagement
Work Together
Recap
Action to take before the next event

Contact the host of Thriverr Learn: Together in Action, Make Collaboration Happen in Your Town