New Center logo Youth logo
Youth Engagement Update
January 2014
In This Issue
Urban Ideal or Rural Idyll?
Other Center News
Field News
Quick Links
New Blog!!

Details included in this newsletter. Subscribe HERE
New e-List!

To receive information about Changing the Rural Narrative activities and events, join this list  HERE.
 
Like us on Facebook

This update is part two of our "Changing the Rural Narrative" series featuring the groundbreaking work of Ben Winchester and Jim Russell plus data from our work with rural youth regarding their strong interest in living in their hometowns in the future.

 
The Urban Ideal or Rural Idyll?        
Craig Schroeder

There is a generally held belief that people want to live in metropolitan areas. However, there is evidence that small towns and rural areas are a residential preference for large parts of the urban population. Research completed by the Pew Research Center shows that 51% of Americans 

would prefer to live in a small town or rural area. Additionally, research by the Economic Research Service illustrates, in fact, the Baby Boom generation's preference for residing in a variety of places, both urban and rural.

 
Awareness of the quality of life rural communities offer also extends to our youth. Assessments by the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship involving more than 45,000 middle-to-high-school-age students indicate that more than 50% picture themselves living in their hometown in the future. Interestingly, this trend is very consistent across varied regions of the rural America. Related research indicates that a small percentage of alums returning home on a sustained basis can stabilize population loss and revitalize rural communities. This is due to the exponential impact young families have on population when alums return home with a spouse and children.

These preferences have translated into growth as evidenced by the rural population increase mentioned in part one of this series. The focus on migration rather than overall population change allows a picture to emerge of the complex relationship between age and residential preferences. By isolating the dynamics of age-related out-migration and in-migration, we can gain a better understanding of how our small towns play a valuable role in the life-cycle decisions people. The highly mobile nature of our population, together with the changes in population and demographics of rural areas, are enough to warrant further investigation.

Newcomer Engagement Success Story:

Holt County Young Professionals is a network of citizens under 40 who live and work in all parts of their county located in north central Nebraska with a total population just over 10,000. The purpose of the network is to provide opportunities for younger people to help shape the future of their communities and the region. Over the past several years this network has expanded rapidly to include almost 100 young adults who get together on a regular basis for a variety of activities.

The secret to their success is straightforward. They intentionally invite newcomers to become part of their fun and interactive social group and through this interaction newcomers build relationships in their communities and with groups that address topics they care about and want to become involved with.

This young professional network is supported by Holt County Economic Development which states one of its key priorities is, "Recruiting our youth and young families back to the county by keeping an open dialogue with our high students and former alumni." More information about Holt County and their support of new residents including promotion of current job openings is available at: www.holtcountynebraska.com 
 
Other Center News

New Blog!

Every week I hear from rural leaders wanting to know how they can build an effective people attraction strategy while also addressing major issues such as the shortage of quality affordable housing. I also get calls from people who are having success with people attraction and are excited to share their stories! So, I have decided to start a blog for people wanting to learn and people who have great stories to tell! I invite you to join our blog today and share a story or ask a question! If people attraction is of great interest to you, please sign up for the blog here and join the conversation! 

 

Defining the Importance of Community Leaders. 

Read our latest thought paper on leadership and the impact the different types of leaders make on community success.

 

 
Field News

Biddeford, Maine is Leading by Example

Brett Schwartz with the National Association of Development Organizations has published a very interesting case study on the impact that youth are having in Biddeford, Maine. In 2008 in conjunction with the Orton Family Foundation, the city began what was known as the Heart & Soul Community Planning process which included community storytelling, neighborhood meetings, and the development and publication of the Downtown Master Plan. In all three of these stages, Biddeford's youth played an important role. Local high school students were active participants in community meetings, interviewed relatives and community members about their lives and their recollections of Biddeford, and organized historical and cultural tours of the city's mills.  The visioning and storytelling process has instilled a new sense of pride in local residents, particularly among Biddeford's youth who, for years, saw no hope for the future of their town.

 

This case study clearly demonstrates the power of heritage and storytelling in economic development and the vital importance of a focal point project to move positive energy to action with young people. I encourage you to learn more from this case study and to contact me if you would like to discuss how you can engage youth in creating a positive vision for the future of your community!

For more information about anything you've read in this newsletter, please contact
 Craig Schroeder at [email protected].