
RMPIF-funded projects
Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore is the annual recipient of Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund monies (RMPIF) from the Rural Maryland Council. The Tri-County Council uses these funds to support local initiatives in line with its core mission; these include regional planning, education/training/workforce development, as well as promotion of the Lower Shore as a region in which to live, work and invest.
FY 2024 RMPIF-funded projects

Student Growth Opportunities to Support (CTE) Experiences

STATT (Skilled Trades, Agriculture, Technology, and Tourism)

Summer Youth Employment Program

Entrepreneurship Training for Veterans

MAC’s Aging and Dementia Training Program

M4 Reactor (Make Delmarva Foundation, Inc.)

Tools to assist Lower Shore planning & economic development professionals

Lower Shore Regional Branding and Marketing

Student Growth Opportunities to Support (CTE) Experiences
Recipient: Somerset County Technical High School
Category: Education/Training/Workforce Development
RMPIF Amount: $114,384
Somerset County Technical High School Student Growth Opportunities to Support Career and Technology Education (CTE) Experiences – Project includes Summer Enrichment Camps for 8th through 12th grades, SkillsUSA Program, student internships and drivers education.

STATT (Skilled Trades, Agriculture, Technology, and Tourism)
Recipient: Worcester County Office of Tourism and Economic Development
Category: Education/Training/Workforce Development
RMPIF Amount: $100,000
Worcester County STATT (Skilled Trades, Agriculture, Technology, and Tourism) Internship and Workforce Exploration Program provides middle and high school students and recent graduates an opportunity to explore careers via paid in and out of school internships with local employers. Program also includes classroom work readiness activities such as career exploration, workplace etiquette, communication skills, job application and interview skills

Summer Youth Employment Program
Recipient: Lower Shore Workforce Alliance Division of the Tri-County Council
Category: Education/Training/Workforce Development
RMPIF Amount: $73,576
Summer Youth Employment Program provides paid summer work experiences with local employers to youths 16-21. In conjunction with Lower Shore public schools the program also includes job coaching and support, as well as classroom work readiness activities such as career exploration, workplace etiquette, communication skills, job application and interview skills.

Entrepreneurship Training for Veterans
Recipient: Project Opportunity
Category: Education/Training/Workforce Development
RMPIF Amount $3,800
Project Opportunity is a free entrepreneurship training program for veterans, active duty, reserve personnel, and military spouse as well as veteran small business owners. The course is specifically designed to develop and complete a business plan rather than merely exploring the possibility of entrepreneurship.

MAC’s Aging and Dementia Training Program
Recipient: MAC Center (MAC Area Agency on Aging)
Category: Education/Training/Workforce Development
RMPIF Amount: $70,000
MAC’s Aging and Dementia Training Program – The program will provide the latest research and care strategies, with emphasis on Alzheimers and dementia care inclusive of continuing education units for licensed professionals (social work and other related). Curriculum will be presented across multiple methods.

M4 Reactor (Make Delmarva Foundation, Inc.)
Recipient: M4 Reactor (Make Delmarva Foundation, Inc.)
Category: Education/Training/Workforce Development
RMPIF Amount: $10,000
Operation/Program Funding for M4 Reactor Makerspace provides support, education, and tools to encourage local manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and youth STEM education.

Tools to assist Lower Shore planning & economic development professionals
Recipient: Contract with Eastern Shore GIS Cooperative (ESRGC)
Category: Regional Planning
RMPIF Amount: $97,052.80
A series of GIS-related tools to assist economic development professionals in Lower Shore planning.
- DelMarVa Index Phase V – continues maintenance and upgrades to delmarvaindex.org to include three new dashboard tools – State Park Dashboard, Health Care Facilities Map and County Economic Snapshots. These tools are in addition to the previously created Economic Dashboard, Workforce Infographics, Eastern Shore Economic Recovery and Business sentiment Survey.
- Circuit Rider – Continuation of GIS Circuit Rider program to provide GIS resources to under-funded local jurisdiction planning departments in rural areas of the Lower Eastern Shore counties.
- Town of Berlin Housing Study – Field work and other data collection will result in tools to be used by town planners, local elected officials and the public to make decisions regarding priority remediation and potential solutions, including grant funding. The Berlin study follows previously RMPIF-funded studies performed in a dozen municipalities within Somerset, Wicomico counties since 2019.
- Phase 1 Creation of Tri-County Council Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) – Project will transfer the current static CEDS Report to a digital format to interface easily with a variety of audiences. Phase 1 includes development of the CEDS website, design scheme, layout and functionality.
- Tri-County Council Mini-Dashboards – Project to upgrade and maintain a series of dashboards created for the Tri-County Council regional economic development website LESMD.net. The dashboards communicate statistical information about the region through modern indicators, maps, charts and graphs.
- General Operational Support – The support assists in maintaining the current standing Tri-County Council GIS Committee as a tool and sounding board for GIS-related planning and economic development.

Lower Shore Regional Branding and Marketing
Recipient: To be administered by the Tri-County Council Economic Development Division
Category: Regional Branding/Marketing
RMPIF Amount: $51,631.34
Lower Shore Regional Branding and Marketing – Program continues regional branding efforts by retaining position of Regional Communications Developer, graphic design, editing, layout (pre-press) of full color glossy regional economic development brochures, highway billboards, digital/print ad design and placement, branded items, booth materials and participation in conferences, continued upgrading and revision to regional economic development website LESMD.net, further development of Delmarva Index, Lower Shore CEDS Report and statistical mini-dashboards.