Attracting Rural Residents Interactive Webinar Series: Rewriting the Rural Narrative
It seems the rural story has already been told. Small towns keep getting smaller. Churches, schools, clinics, businesses, and now post offices, have closed their doors as the lucky few migrate out to large cities. This deficit framework dominates how we discuss and envision our rural communities. However, the story of rural America since 1970 is rich and diverse, with positive regional trends occurring under the radar. Put another way, if our rural communities are dying, why can we not find homes to buy? Learn about this 40-year trend of the “rural brain gain” whereby people are moving to rural communities in their prime earning years. This redefines how we talk about community involvement, economic development, and regional living as we have diversified our rural landscape.
Homework #1: Interview two newcomers to your community.