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Sponsored by St. Lawrence University
Mission Statement

"The mission of the annual Symposium is
to convene stakeholders in northern New
York to explore and ultimately enhance the
region's economic, environmental, and
educational vitality."

The Annual Symposium is sponsored by
the Ellen C. Burt '42 Endowment
at St. Lawrence University

6th Annual North Country Symposium

Register Now! The 2008 North Country Symposium will be on Wednesday, April 9, 2008, from 8am - 5pm, in Eben Holden Conference Center at St. Lawrence University

Registration Form
Program Information
Symposium Program

To find the Eben Holden Conference Center, from the main intersection in downtown Canton, New York, proceed south on Park Street through the St. Lawrence University campus.  Signs and parking attendants will direct you to the appropriate parking lots and the Eben Holden Conference Center.  For a map of the St. Lawrence University campus, go to http://www.stlawu.edu/campusmap/.

First Annual Burt Symposium
Reviewing our History and Project Outcomes

Over the past five years, the Symposium has initiated or been involved with many projects. For a brief history of the Symposium and to learn about some of the projects that have come out of the Symposium, click here…

Michael Shuman Unveils “St. Lawrence County Model” Across the Nation

September, 2003. Since his work with the Burt Symposium in May, Michael Shuman, the keynote and consultant at the Symposium, has described the “St. Lawrence County Model” for local economic development in talks and workshops given in Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Maine. Shuman has described the model as a highly comprehensive approach to tackling economic problems at the local level. The “model” involves the creation of action/research teams to identify local assets, economic indicators, leakages to the flow of capital, and projects to stem the leaks. For more detail, click here…


The Annual Symposium is named for Ellen C. Burt, who with her family gifted her alma mater, St. Lawrence University, with an endowment to enhance education, environment, and economic vitality in New York’s North Country region.

Task Force Team Discusses
Assets in the Region

The theme of the first Symposium was “Going Local: Capitalizing on our Resources in St. Lawrence County.” At the Symposium over 150 stakeholders from local businesses and industries, financial institutions, government agencies, schools, and colleges participated in developing a comprehensive approach to enhancing local economic development. The concept was introduced by keynote speaker Michael Shuman, author of “Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age” in a paper written specifically for St. Lawrence County. Participants then worked in action/research teams to develop the concept into a model to be used over the coming years. More…

Copyright 2003 Ellen C. Burt Symposium Click Here to Email Symposium Coordinator

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