Rural Matters

In the third of our four-part series, Rural Higher Education: Challenges & Opportunities, Michelle chats with four experts about rural diversity, both perceptions and reality; challenges and opportunities involving diverse students in the rural higher education space; and the innovative initiatives colleges and rural communities are developing to deal with these challenges and opportunities: Alyssa Ratledge, a postsecondary education researcher at MDRC, a nonpartisan, nonprofit policy research firm; Deborah Santiago. the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Excelencia in Education; Edward Smith-Lewis, Executive Director of UNCF's Institute for Capacity Building (ICB), a team dedicated to supporting the resiliency of HBCUs; and Noel Harmon, President and Executive Director of Asian Pacific Islander American Scholars, formerly the Asian Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund. Ratledge notes that, despite perceptions, rural America is not monolithic. About 15 to 20 percent of rural individuals identify as non-white, but in many areas of the country the percentage is much higher. In addition, she explains, even in predominantly white states, rural diversity is increasing faster than urban diversity, which is important for understanding rural issues, including access to higher education and dealing with rural poverty. Santiago notes her organization is looking at transformation and resiliency in areas with a substantial Latino population, including a current focus on Puerto Rico. There's a myth that the majority of Latinos in the United States are undocumented, which is not accurate, she notes, adding that it's important to "meet students where they're at." Smith-Lewis notes that almost 50 percent of the black population in the South is located in rural communities, and that his organization is developing programs that enable these individuals to return to these communities. Smith-Lewis believes that a key to solving HBCU issues is to bring the stakeholders to the table and to understand that better technology and additional resources need to be brought to bear in the rural South. Harmon points out that the Asian community itself is quite diverse and that about 75 percent of the higher ed students it serves is first generation to attend college. Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and the Asian community in general often are not represented at the table or are not part of the discussion in terms of necessary resources, such as extending broadband access, she says. The guests describe culturally relevant initiatives they are undertaking to meet these challenges: Harmon hopes to engage in culturally relevant research that involves organic conversations to find areas of systemic change. Smith-Lewis describes his group's Career Pathways Development initiative, which involves actually going to the higher education institutions and conducting town halls and other conversations to find ways for the institutions they partner with to be successful, and the importance of telling the larger historical narrative of the black population, and the importance of targeting recipients, as is the case in a recent initiative in Mississippi. Santiago describes her organization's focus on positioning institutions enrolling rural students as trendsetters, including those in rural Puerto Rico. This episode and the entire Rural Higher Education Series is underwritten by and produced in collaboration with Ascendium Education Group, a nonprofit organization committed to helping learners from low-income backgrounds reach their education and career goals. For more information, visit ascendiumphilanthropy.org. The series is also produced in collaboration with MDRC, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research firm committed to finding solutions to some of the most difficult problems facing the nation. Learn more at www.mdrc.org.

In the second of our four-part series, Rural Higher Education: Challenges & Opportunities, Michelle chats with four inviduals committed to improving education in West Viriginia: Danielle Vetter, Senior Progrm Officer at Ascendium; Stephanie Hyre, Senior Program Officer of The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation; Corley Dennison, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education; and Paul Daugherty, President & CEO of Philanthropy West Virginia. Vetter discusses Ascendium's priorities in the rural space, including research, building capacity for postsecondary providers, and catalyzing investment and partnerships to create opportunities and open doors that may have been previously closed. There are many lessons learned from these incredible collaborative efforts in West Virginia, including the importance not just talking about issues, but actually meeting the needs of rural communities through strategic development. Dennison notes how rural West Virginia really is and how important it is to initiate innovative programs, such as the one designed to improve developmental education. Dennison also describes the main goal of West Virginia Climbs, supported by Ascendium, that 60 percent of workers in the state will have some kind postsecondary credentials by 2020. Daugherty describes how Philanthropy West Virginia promotes collaboration among government, business, nonprofit, and philanthropy to bolster communities, an effort that has taken on added significance during the pandemic, especially on the issues of food security and business and survival. An essential component to success in the space, according to Daugherty: Courage to try something new. Hyre describes the work of the Education Affinity Group, a subset of Philanthropy West Virginia (which she now co-chairs), whose priorities include early childhood literacy and postsecondary degree attainment. She explains how the group moved toward strategic priorities through the 3 Ps (pipelines, partnerships, and platforms), to attract additional funding and support for rural education.

Want to find out more about what's happening in West Virginia? Cheick out this video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qcPNVITWOoM. This episode and the entire Rural Higher Education Series is underwritten by and produced in collaboration with Ascendium Education Group, a nonprofit organization committed to helping learners from low-income backgrounds reach their education and career goals. For more information, visit ascendiumphilanthropy.org. The series is also produced in collaboration with MDRC, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research firm committed to finding solutions to some of the most difficult problems facing the nation. Learn more at www.mdrc.org.

In the first of our four-part series, Rural Higher Education: Challenges & Opportunities, Michelle chats with Alyssa Ratledge. a postsecondary education researcher at MDRC; Dr. Jan Miller, Dean of the College of Education and the Director of Online Programs at the University of West Alabama (UWA); and Joe Thiel, Director of Academic Policy and Research for the Montana University System. There's a big gap between urban and rural students in higher education, Ratledge notes, with about 41 percent of urban adults attaining college degrees, while only 28 percent of rural adults have those degrees. While rural and urban areas have similar graduation rates, those in rural areas are less likely to attend college, she points out. In addition, she says, many rural students live in "education deserts," where there are no nearby colleges to attend. Ratledge adds that rural students are facing a "digital divide," with less access to robust broadband, as well as other challenges like transportation issues. Miller describes UWA's University Charter School, which provides real-world experience for education students and how business and economic opportunities in the area are now expanding. UWA also has introduced innovative initiatives with local communities, such as "drive-in" education programs and turning school buses into Internet "hot spots." Miller also describes dual enrollment programs and scholarships opportunities for juniors and seniors in high school that require that students remain in the local area for three years. In Montana, Thiel notes, it's difficult for smaller institutions of higher education to sustainably offer even in-demand programs in fields like allied health, due to the costs of programs and the challenges recruiting and retaining qualified faculty, who can often earn more working in industry. He notes that higher education institutions are exploring "hub-and-spoke" initiatives, in which the hubs would provide online teaching in respiratory therapy, for example, while the spokes would coordinate the clinical and lab experiences and provide in-person supports. To learn more about these ideas, check out MDRC's paper on COVID-19 and Rural Higher Education, https://www.mdrc.org/publication/covid-19-and-rural-higher-education. This episode and the entire Rural Higher Education Series is underwritten by and produced in collaboration with Ascendium Education Group, a nonprofit organization committed to helping learners from low-income backgrounds reach their education and career goals. For more information, visit ascendiumphilanthropy.org. The series is also produced in collaboration with MDRC, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research firm committed to finding solutions to some of the most difficult problems facing the nation. Learn more at www.mdrc.org.

Michelle chats with Whitney Kimball Coe, director of National Programs at the Center for Rural Strategies and the leader of the Rural Assembly, about the upcoming Rural Assembly Everywhere Festival, and with three presenters at this landmark event including, Kathleen Sebelius, former HHS Secretary, Benya Kraus, co-founder of Lead for America and Executive Director of Lead for Minnesota, and Norma Flores Lopez, chair of the Child Labor Coalition's Domestic Issues Committee and an activist with Justice for Migrant Women.

Rural Assembly Everywhere is a free, five-day (October 26-30) streaming virtual conference/festival, where you can tune in at any time to find out what's happening in this critical time in rural America, Coe explains. The festival includes "main stage" keynotes from various authors and thought leaders, including Sarah Smarsh, author of Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, Dr. Richard Besser of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Rural Everywhere will cover vital issues and headlines from The Daily Yonder, such as the rural vote in the 2020 elections, and racial justice in rural America. Breakout sessions will focus on more specific issues, including climate change, resiliency, and developing the next generation of rural leaders. Also, Coe notes, there will be a happy hour every day, at which attendees can network with other attendees. To register for this can't miss virtual festival, visit ruralassembly.org.

The major rural health issues today, according to Sebelius, include access to providers and hospitals; the promise of telemedicine to provide that access in, for example, specialty care and mental health; how resiliency in rural America can attract new providers and residents; and access to fast broadband, especially in education and health. Kraus, who will be facilitating a conversation with author Sarah Smarsh at the Everywhere event, discusses her rural outreach efforts in Minnesota, her relationship with immigrant and other entrepreneurs in Waseca, and the inspiring experience of "working your way back home." At Lead for America, she explains, potential rural contributors can be matched with rural communities to earn two-year fellowships to enable them to bring best practices back to their hometowns. The Justice for Migrant Women, Lopez says, protects and advances rural and migrant women's rights through education, public awareness, and advocacy. Rural America is not all white, as some politicians believe, but is actually diverse, and her organization tries to make sure that rural women are truly heard. In this election year, that means getting out the vote, she notes. Migrant farmworkers are essential works, she adds, and while they are starting to get more recognition, that doesn't mean they're getting needed workplace protections, such as overtime pay and the right to organize.

Michelle chats with Matthew Hoagland, the author of "Think Small: A Millennial's Guide to Building a Meaningful Life in Rural America." Hoagland describes how he had set his sights on leading a trendy urban life in Ashville, NC but decidedly to "move to the middle of nowhere," (Yanceyville, NC), where he works as the Planning Department Director for the Caswell County Planning Department. The book serves as a how-to-guide for millennials on building a meaningful life in rural America, which, in Hoagland's case, included paying off his entire student dent and buying a house for $39,000. Hoagland describes how he became immersed in local civic issues, and along with his wife, established a meaningful, sustainable, and affordable life they originally thought they would have by living in a bigger city. When you start out in a big city, he says, you often have to begin aa an intern, but in a small town, you can start in a position that can put you in charge of something meaningful in just a couple of years. The book includes a checklist for those thinking of moving to the middle of nowhere.

Michelle chats with Jessica Ames, Programs & Events Coordinator at. Angel Flight East, which provides free flights for individuals who need medical treatment far from home, with a footprint in 14 states. The flights are totally paid for by the pilots themselves, Ames says. The passengers do not have to pay for the flights, whether they need five flights a year or dozens of flights. According to Ames, pilots enjoy this volunteer experience because it pairs their passion for flying with being able to meet a distinct need of patients requiring medical attention. She describes how the company developed its Rural and Rare Reach Initiative, funded by the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, in association with State Offices of Rural Health and others in six states: Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Maryland. Ames also describes how her company transported face shields and other PPE to rural hospitals and other health care providers during this pandemic — at no cost. The company resumed flights last month, Ames notes. This episode was sponsored by Angel Flight East, www.angelflighteast.org.

In this final episode of our three-part series, Faith-Based Programs and Their Impact on Rural Communities, which we're doing in collaboration with and supported by The Duke Endowment, Michelle chats with three experts about efforts rural churches are making to narrow the academic achievement gap and improve literacy rates for students in rural North Carolina: Dr. Helen Chen, consultant and researcher, Sharon Locklear, Director of the Sandy Plains United Methodist Church Summer Literacy Program in Pembroke, N.C., and David Reeves, Senior Minister at Cullowhee United Methodist Church in Cullowhee, N.C. During summer months, Dr. Chen notes, there is often a dearth of academic enrichment opportunities in rural communities, and literacy programs implemented by rural churches can help ensure that students meet mandatory grade-level literacy requirements and prevent "summer slide." The Duke Endowment’s Rural Church summer literacy initiative, whose roots date back to 2012, provides churches with grants to host six-week reading camps that ,include 90 hours of instruction, coupled with wraparound services, such as breakfast and lunch, transportation, and family engagement activities. Reeves' church hosted its first camp last year, which was extremely successful. It prompted them to continue the camp this year, albeit with a shorter program and a focus on children who did not have access to remote learning, while also adhering to CDC safety recommendations. Dr. Chen points out that the pandemic accentuates the literacy gap in rural communities and necessitated increased virtual learning this summer. Locklear's program, which also began last year and has continued this year, provides Native American students, "who are more tactile learners," with additional hands-on activities, such as magnet boards for sentence structure and poster boards for vocabulary instruction. This episode is sponsored by The Duke Endowment, www.dukeendowment.org.

This is the second episode in a new series called Faith-Based Programs and Their Impact on Rural Communities, which we’re doing in collaboration with and supported by The Duke Endowment. This private philanthropic organization serves North Carolina and South Carolina in four distinct grantmaking areas: health care, child & family well-being, higher education, and rural United Methodist churches. Michelle chats with Heather Kilbourne, Program Manager of the Faith in Rural Communities Initiative at the North Carolina Rural Center; Nicole Johnson, Associate Director for the Partners in Health and Wholeness program of the North Carolina Council of Churches; and Michelle Osborne, the Program Manager for Come to the Table, one of many initiatives of the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA. Their conversation focuses on how rural congregations are filling gaps in local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and covers a wide range of critical issues, including food systems, public health, and community development. Kilbourne says her program helps churches and other faith communities use their resources to meet the significant needs of residents and that “rural churches thrive when they help their communities thrive.” She also describes how, during COVID-19, churches have purchased meals for community members in need, delivering them directly to residents or via drive-throughs. Johnson says her program assists faith communities in addressing a variety of essential issues, including food security, mental health, and substance abuse, and that faith communities are particularly gifted in “reminding people that they are whole.” She also discusses how her program and local churches have pivoted during the pandemic to offer food drops, deliver COVID-19 kits, and establish testing sites. Osborne describes how her organization works to connect the hunger relief programs of churches to local agriculture to address food security, poverty, and strengthen justice in the state’s food system. She also shares details about a grant program designed to provide churches with funds to purchase food from local farmers and give it to families in need.  The Duke Endowment (http://www.dukeendowment.org) sponsored this episode.

This is the first episode in a new series, called Faith-Based Programs & Their Impact on Rural Communities, which we’re doing in collaboration with and supported by The Duke Endowment, a private philanthropic organization that serves North Carolina and South Carolina in four distinct grantmaking areas: health care, child & family well-being, higher education, and rural United Methodist churches. Michelle chats with Robb Webb, Director of The Duke Endowment’s Rural Church program area, and with Kristen Richardson-Frick, Associate Director of the Rural Church program area. Webb discusses how churches can be more than just places of worship and instruction. Their physical assets can eventually be used for a variety of purposes, including women’s and children’s shelters, retail spaces such as church-run coffee shops, and even as commercial kitchens, according to Webb. Richardson-Frick relates how pastors are seeing signs of hope during the COVID-19 pandemic as more worshipers congregate through online platforms than previously gathered in pews on Sunday mornings. She also describes how spiritual leaders have pivoted to offer counseling and other key services online in order to maintain appropriate social distancing. Webb also sees signs of hope. For example, he notes, churches recognized that local farmers needed support as the restaurants they supplied struggled, and so they reached out to buy food from farmers for needy local residents. He also discusses an exciting program called Hope Restorations, in which local ministries help men who have worked through addiction obtain certification and training in construction and who then can work on houses the church buys for needy local residents. This episode is sponsored by The Duke endowment, www.dukeendowment.org

Michelle chats with Kara Laws, co-owner and CEO of Small Town Hub, a company that helps small, rural cities and their businesses strengthen and support their local economies. Small Town Hubs works with rural businesses directly with online and other marketing; consulting with the cities themselves about not relying only on tourism, for example; and with local chambers of commerce. The Internet changed marketing for rural businesses to emphasize into more consumer-driven enterprises and also figuring out how to deliver merchandise ordered online. Laws talks about how a local business pivoted during the pandemic by making masks and selling them only online through their website and a local restaurant in Utah that added delivery to their services and have “barely taken a hit” during the pandemic.  Service-based businesses can creates online courses to help build their business, she notes.  Laws advises businesses to create as few barriers as possible in developing their websites and online platforms, and that they have a marketing plan in place with solid images in place.  Laws recommends Shopify as an excellent platform for many of her clients. There’s a quiz on the company’s website that can help businesses decide which website provider might be best for them. For more information, visit https://www.smalltownhub.com/about-us