Archive for the ‘Gen Y’ Category

Why’s this place boring?

August 19th, 2010

Deb Marquart immediately captured my attention on Monday at the Midwest Rural Assembly.  During her keynote presentation “Reimaging Place,” she explained to the audience that she left her hometown of Napoleon in rural North Dakota as a teenager because it was boring.  As she wrote a book about it as an adult, however, she discovered it was anything but boring.

The statement raised an interesting idea:  Do young people need to write a book in order to appreciate their hometowns? 

Although that question is a bit out there, it might not be as farfetched as one might think.  I’ve actually witnessed first-hand how young people can develop a connection to their community through writing activities. 

 

The Value of Place Based Education

Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Mary Stangohr, a talented English teacher at Howard H.S. (SD) embedded place based education in her classroom.  In one of her units of study, Mary had her students read Broken Heartland by Osha Grey Davison, a book detailing the impact of industrial agriculture on rural communities. 

Whether they agreed with the author’s assessment or not, the book connected with most students because they could see similar trends in agriculture happening around them.  In some cases, it connected on an emotional level as some students saw how these changes impacted their parent’s farms, businesses, and places of employment.  It even opened the door for young people to talk to adults about issues that seldom get discussed.

But Mary didn’t end the project with reading the book.  She brought in a community historian who shared engaging stories about growing up in the community.  She took students on field trips to places like to Vilas, SD where students were able to visually experience what life was like in a town back in the 1920-30 before its population shrunk from 400-500 to 19 people today.  And then as a capstone, she required students to write a paper or produce a multimedia project that shared what they had learned.  

I’m not sure if student’s scores on the grammar section of mandatory testing increased as a result of the project.  But I’m positive that the activity encouraged them to dig in and connect more deeply to the subject, and that certainly made them better writers.

 

It’s more than good learning

Beyond the value of helping students become better writers, the project had another impact; Mary’s students came to understand their community better, and I think in many cases, to develop a deeper emotional connection to their hometown. 

In her own way, this is what Marquart shared with her audience at the Midwest Rural Assembly.  She grew up in her rural North Dakota community without knowing much about it.  Sure, she knew the people who lived there.  She knew they worked hard to eke out a living.  But she didn’t know the personal stories that made her community rich. 

Without those stories, it’s easy for any place to appear boring.

 

Photo Credit:  National Rural Assembly - Flickr (Shawn Poyter - permission granted)

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Is there an economic opportunity in your community?

June 25th, 2010

I caught a Tweet from @dancowling the other day.  It read “Thinking Young In Your Community Development Efforts.”  That’s great advice, especially in the Upper Midwest where an increasing graying of the population is a threat to the future of our small towns.

Dan’s tweet linked to a post by Rex Nelson on the New FoundNation blog.  The post calls on rural leaders to “work smart,” rethink infrastructure investments, and focus on attracting talented young people. 

Rex also offers a list of 9 things communities must focus on in order to attract young people.  It’s a list worth passing along:

1. Stress downtown revitalization efforts
2. Provide planning grants for neighborhood revitalization projects
3. Focus on quality parks, biking trails and walking trails
4. Support local grant research and grant writing strategies
5.Work to improve the quality, safety and affordability of the housing stock
6. Support the construction and expansion of medical facilities
7. Protect the region’s environmental assets
8. Expand the application of green technologies
9. Support the development and marketing of entertainment, recreational and cultural assets
    (Source:  Rex Nelson, “Thinking Young in Your Community Development Efforts,” New FoundNation, April 28, 2010.)

Reading the list reminded me of a list I created in a post titled “5 Ways Rural Communities Can Get Ready for Gen Y” back in December 2009. I’ve copied my list below, but I’d encourage everyone to check out my original post for an explanation of each recommendation.   

1) Help create economic opportunities  (via entrepreneurship).
2) Make sure your community has third places that help introduce newcomers.
3) Develop good broadband internet capacities and wi-fi hot spots.
4) Help young people figure out “What am I going to do in this town?”
5) Rethink how you “engage” Gen Y in your community. 

Although Rex and my recommendations are quite different, I think they complement each other.   I would, however, like to highlight one point that I think is important for consideration. 

Neither list will produce a lasting result if young people can’t recognize an economic opportunity in your community. This doesn’t mean you should think focusing on recruiting businesses will solve your problems; the social and natural amenities featured on the lists above are extremely important.  But economic opportunity can’t be ignored either.

Photo Credit:  Warren Long - Flickr

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Think “youth engagement” before offering scholarships

June 15th, 2010

I’ve been in Tacoma, WA this weekend for my niece’s high school graduation (Congratulations Melissa!).  While waiting for the family to wake from their evening slumber yesterday, I stumbled across an article written by Jeremy Beer for Philanthropy Daily describing the success of a rural Pennsylvania community at reducing the outmigration of young people by providing scholarships to a nearby college. 

According to a 2009 article in Inside Higher Education, the two scholarship funds Beer references were established in the coal mining community of Tamaqua, PA in order to “to inspire local students both to go on to college and to stay close to home.”

Programs like this are of interest to me for a couple reasons.  First, I’d love to see rural communities everywhere develop “people attraction” strategies.  To me, people attraction strategies are about making communities places that people want to live.  This process begins with young people currently living in the community and extends out from there to adults everywhere.

Second, I wonder how it applies to the South Dakota Partnership for Teacher Education project.  Can scholarships work as an incentive for new graduates to teach in rural and Native American school districts across South Dakota?

Beer calls on leaders to extend scholarship programs like that of Tamaqua.  He writes:

Needless to say, these kinds of efforts could be taken much further. What if a local foundation decided to help pay off local students’ college loans, if they were to return to their hometown areas after graduation? Such a program would have to be designed with care, in order to avoid creating disincentives for colleges to give financial aid or to keep tuition low (in other words, if it were to have the same effect as the ridiculous federal student-loan programs, then we’re better off without it). But this could be an especially attractive option for the brightest of local kids who amass considerable debt attending liberal arts schools.” (Source:  Jeremy Beer, “Nudge them Homeward,” Philanthropy Daily, June 9, 2010)

I like the idea of extending these scholarship programs, but I’d recommend the extension be made in the opposite direction with youth engagement activities that connect young people to their community in the years before being offered scholarships.  In other words, get kids involved at an earlier age in meaningful community projects. 

As Dr. David Ivan from the Michigan State University states in a presentation at the 2009 Michigan Rural Partners Conference: 

Successful communities realize that the first step in reversing the brain-drain in small communities is to create a positive childhood memory that may serve as a consideration in future location.”  (Source: Dave Ivan, “Can Small Towns be Cool,” a presentation at the 2009 Michigan Rural Partner Conference, slide 38)  

It’s not that I think extending scholarships to more people is a bad idea.  I simply believe that communities need to build an emotional connection with young people before offering scholarships in order for the scholarships to produce the best possible effect. 

There are undoubtedly other similar scholarship programs cropping up across Rural America.  It would be interesting to learn more about their success and failures.

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Home Again

May 21st, 2010

(Note: It’s Friday, which means this post is a part of our “I Feel Fridays” project.  Our goal is to share stories from the past week that generated an emotional response.  We encourage readers to respond to the post or to share something from their lives in the past week. To learn more about “I Feel Fridays,” check out this post- and then tell us what you’re feeling.)

I came home from college for the summer this week, and nearly everyone I met in my hometown made me feel welcomed back into the community.  That’s something I haven’t felt in a while.

I grew up on a family farm in Howard, SD.  I then decided to travel 788 miles down Interstate-90 to attend the School of Architecture at Montana State University - Bozeman.  I knew I would miss my family and friends, but I was ready to make the change.  What I didn’t think I would miss as much as I do is the community.

Howard is pretty small, and I was ready for bigger things - a bigger town, a bigger school and a sense of “bigger” that would come from me moving there.  I didn’t think I was better than my friends who stayed, but I thought I was on a new adventure to try completely new things.  While this is true, I started to miss the things I once took for granted. 

For instance, the meat that showed up on my dining hall plate was not from our cows or our neighbors pigs.  I couldn’t find any garden fresh kohlrabi in the salad department.  Worst of all, it definitely wasn’t cooked by Mom.

I would drive down to Target and the cashier didn’t ask me about my Grandpa, only if I wanted my receipt with me or in the bag.  My floormates laughed at my hometown newspaper saying, “It’s for the whole county, only comes once a week, and the main story is about a cow?!”   I started to defend my little paper by explaining it was Fair week, and the steer won Best in Show for a local 4-H kid.  They didn’t think it was a big deal.

I truly realized how much I missed the community my first night home from college during Winter Break when I walked into the Cabaret Steakhouse in Carthage, SD with my parents.  As we found a table, friends and neighbors all smiled at me and asked how it felt to be done with my first semester in Montana.  I was caught off guard because these people cared enough to stop eating, talk to me, and remember were I was going to school and what subject I was studying. 

That’s when it hit me: Bozeman may be a very friendly town, but it doesn’t even compare to Miner County.  When I go back to school, only my close friends and professors will welcome me with a smile and genuinely care how my summer went.  When I walk into the restaurants, no one will ask how it’s going in Howard or say how nice it is to have me back in town.

I think a previous post about Tom Bodett’s thoughts on a small town embody why I love Miner County.  The small-town community is hard to explain, but now that I have gone away the pull for me to come back is getting stronger.

I’ve now finished my third year at MSU and I’m no longer caught off guard by people saying, “It’s so good to see you!  How long are you home for this time?”  I happily answer, “The whole summer, and I’m really glad to be home.”

 

Photo: Miner County residents do their best in a pie eating contest to celebrate Straw Bale Days in Carthage, SD, uploaded to Flickr by the Rural Learning Center

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Jack Schultz: It’s about entrepreneurship

April 12th, 2010

People love lists, and Jack Schultz has the ultimate list for rural economic development professionals:  7 1/2 Keys to Success in Small Towns.  If you haven’t heard, it’s worth reading. 

But which one is “The One”?  In other words, if a community had to choose, which one should it focus on?

Jack the evangelist

Last Thursday (April 8), Jack spoke to a group of community residents and students on the University of South Dakota campus.  I was already on campus working on another project, so I couldn’t resist crashing the party. 

Jack delivered what I expected; he evangelized on behalf of small towns, telling the audience to incorporate his 7 1/2 principles into their development effort.  I bought his book on its first printing, so I was familiar with his principles and stories.   It’s good stuff.

What impressed me most, however, was Jack’s statement that Principle #5: Encouraging an Entrepreneurial Approach is probably the most important development strategy for small towns to follow.  I didn’t get his exact quote, but Jack emphasized growth through entrepreneurship because the odds of landing a business through recruitment is slim.  For instance, last year there were only around 200 significant “smokestack chasing” projects in the entire country, and tens of thousands of communities were pursuing them.  In that light, growing your own entrepreneurs looks like a pretty good idea! 

What’s Jack doing about it?

Part of the reason Jack is a hit on the speaker trail is that he’s done it. Dating back to the 1980s, Jack has been helping his hometown of Effingham, Illinois (pop. 12,384) with its economic development initiatives.  When asked about the community’s entrepreneurship efforts, he responded by describing a recent initiative he’s been involved with. 

Here are the basics:

Listening to Jack, I could hear his passion for this project.  He claimed the training would be transformational, and I’m inclined to believe him.  Jack volunteered to share more information with anyone who was interested;  he’s already responded to my request with an e-mail.  Reading it has inspired additional questions, and I hope Jack (and others) will have some time to answer them.  As I learn more, I promise to share. 

Entrepreneurship education.  It’s something all rural communities need to learn more about. 

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Gen Y Entrepreneurship: Nick Graham Style

April 7th, 2010

Nick Graham has struck again.  Now, 21 years-old, Nick recently purchased the Nodaway Valley Market in Fontanelle, IA; his third grocery store in small town Iowa.

I wrote briefly about Nick in January 2009, almost three years after he had purchased his first grocery store in Truman, MN at age seventeen.  He went on to buy two additional stores before selling them off because another grocer made him a “good offer.” 

According to Kyle Munson in the Des Moines Register, Nick has jumped back into the grocery business with the purchase of three stores in the Iowa communities of Fontanelle, Pomeroy and Rolfe.  His efforts prompted one of his employees to say:

“Holy cow,” Debbie Frank says Wednesday from behind the cash register. Just hearing Nick’s resume “makes me think I’ve done nothing with my life!” (Source: Kyle Munson, Des Moines Register, “Munson: Iowa grocery tycoon, 21, builds small-town business,” April 2, 2010),

In my original article, I suggest Nick was “just another typical Millennial” because many Gen Yers share his entrepreneurial spirit.  Obviously, Nick’s entrepreneurial spirit is on steroids.  But the point I wanted to make was that rural communities everywhere should be thinking about how they can tap into young people by supporting their entrepreneurial spirit. 

Although I’ve never met Nick, the Des Moines Register article helps me see some additional characteristics that Nick possesses.  I think they are worth lifting up for consideration. 

 

5 characteristics of Nick Graham’s entrepreneurial spirit

1. Live conservatively: A lot of young people spend money freely. Some rush into buying a fancy car, whiles others jump into homeownership; both leading them down a pathway to a lifetime of debt. Nick’s a homeowner himself. But rather than spend $150,000 - $250,000 on a starter home in a larger community, Nick purchased a four-bedroom house in Rolfe for $4,000.

2. Work hard: If you are ambitious, you’re going to end up working long hours to gain the success you want. The difference with Nick is that he’s putting in these hours for himself, rather than a boss or shareholders. In other words, he keeps the fruits of his hard work.

3. Find your muse & get started early: Nick’s first venture into business wasn’t the Truman grocery store. From the Des Moines Register article, we learn that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer inspired Nick to set up a lawn mowing business. My guess is that some of that money came in handy when buying his first grocery store.

4. Skip college: Ok, I don’t actually believe this is a good move for most young people, but it has worked for Nick. I suspect it’s because he’s found ways to teach himself the skills he needs for his business.

5. Don’t give up: Having never met Nick, I’m not sure what disappointments and failures he’s had to overcome, but one quote from the Des Moines Register article suggests he’s not a quitter: “Good things fall apart for better things to fall together.”

I’m inspired by Nick, and I hope you are too.  But more importantly, this is the type of story that I hope inspires young people.

Too often, the only stories young people in rural communities hear are about people who move away to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.  There’s nothing wrong with celebrating their success.  But it’s a travesty when we ignore those doing it in small, rural communities. 

 

Photo Credit:  Aplysa_06 - Flickr

 

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Youth Engagement: A path to reinventing rural education

March 4th, 2010

We talk a lot about the importance of youth engagement in rural communities. It’s a great way to connect with young people, and make sure they realize how valuable they are to the community.

I recently discovered this great example of youth engagement in rural Perth County, Ontario. 

Under an initiative developed by the Perth County Econoimc Development Offices, MS2 Productions, a local production company, has been offering Social Media Boot Camp training classes to local businesses.  The training involves a 3-hour overview session on social media marketing and hands-on training focused on specific social media tools, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. 

To promote the training, the company produced a video which I’ve embedded below. (It’s so good, I wish Perth County, Ontario was closer so that I could have attended.)

 

Perth County Social Media Boot Camp from MS2 Productions - Your Complete on Vimeo.

But it is what’s happening behind the scenes that sets the training apart. In addition to encouraging businesses within each rural community to work together, they are engaging students as social media consultants.  As Melissa Schenk, Executive Producer of MS2 Productions explained to me via e-mail:

Local Businesses will hire CO-OP students to be their Social Media Marketers… The Baby Boomers learn from students how to use the Social Media Sites, but the students in turn - learn more about local businesses, how to better put these social media sites to good use, and are providing a valuable resource of information in their communities. Not to mention students are engaging more with businesses, that they might never have had the opportunity or an interest in otherwise.”

In short, young people and business owners are learning from each other.  And in the long run, these young people will better appreciate life in their rural communities and be better prepared to recognize business opportunities after completing their education.

Additionally, I think projects like this will lead to the educational reform that Richard Florida has been talking about lately: creativity, technology, and social.  All are 21st Century skills that young people need to be successful.  Come to think of it, those are the same skills rural communities leaders need as well.

Note:  Melissa Schenk  sent me a message correcting my initial post, which did not credit the Perth County Economic Development Office for the project.  My apologies to Bernia Wheaton, Perth County Economic Development Coordinator.  I love this story even more knowing that economic development professionals are leading the charge!

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Symbols of Entrepreneurial Spirit

February 26th, 2010

I believe in the power of symbols.  The wind turbines we put up in Miner County back in 2001 served as a symbol of inspiration as we “reimagined” the future of our rural community.  They became a powerful visible reminder of the work we were trying to accomplish.

I was reminded of the power of symbols yesterday during two presentations at the Launch10, an entrepreneurship conference by Dakota Wesleyan University.  The first reminder came from keynote speaker Sheena Lindahl, and the second came from three young South Dakota entrepreneurs, Matt Douglas, Matt Smart, and Lezlie Kaitfors.  Both presentation offered symbols of entrepreneurship and success for the largely college-aged crowd in attendance — but in very different ways.

Sheena’s presentation revolved around taking limited resources and turning them into something big.  To make her point, she drew on her personal story of growing up in poverty in rural New Hampshire (or Vermont, I forget which). 

Sheena described herself as an average high school student who always wanted to go to New York City, despite being afraid of it.  Facing her fears (a common theme throughout the day), Sheena enrolled at New York University and hopped on the bus for NYC - even though she didn’t have the money to pay for the semester.  Through determination and hard work, she consistently overcame every obstacle put in her path.  Today she’s a Gen Y entrepreneur rock star. She’s definitely someone every young person in the audience can aspire to become.

While a symbol herself, what struck me most about her presentation was how NYC served as the symbol that inspired her.  She was going to “make it” in New York City, and that thought drove her.  

Although unintentional, I’m afraid that young people in the audience may also interpreted NYC as a symbol for success.  In other words, they have to go off to the big city to achieve their dreams of entrepreneurial success.  Maybe that’s just my interpretation, and I know Sheena didn’t intend it.  But as a rural community fanatic, I worry about the constant messaging that preaches this idea.

Personally, I was more inspired by the round table involving the young South Dakota entrepreneurs.  After briefly highlighting their personal stories, the session turned into a question and answer period.  In contrast to other speakers during the day, these three entrepreneurs were not polished presenters who made their living telling others how to become entrepreneurs.  They shared an authentic and inspirational message about what it’s like to be young South Dakotan entrepreneurs. 

I was particularly struck by how well they answered a question about what South Dakota high schools should be doing to help develop future entrepreneurs.  I want to share their responses with you:

Through these and other answers, the three reminded the audience that young people don’t have to go out of state to be successful entrepreneurs.  That’s a message that excited me!

But what’s more powerful?  Images of NYC or stories of young people?  I’m afraid that NYC’s visibility is naturally more powerful.  I guess that’s where Sheena’s message of overcoming adversity comes back into play.  Those of us with a passion for South Dakota have a responsibility to share stories of successful South Dakota entrepreneurs. 

In the future, we’ll try to do a better job of that here at ReImagine Rural.

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Reinventing restaurants (and rural communities)

January 13th, 2010

There’s no doubt that good restaurants are important to rural communities.  They make rural communities more attractive places to live.  They often serve as “informal meeting places where community is built” (e.g., third places).  And they often improve the local economy by giving people a place to spend their money locally. 

My guess is that Reuben Wentz must appreciate the importance of a good restaurant.  The 93-year-old retired farmer recently gave $500,000 to his hometown of Napoleon, North Dakota (pop. 857) to create a new community-owned restaurant.   

The restaurant replaces the old, deteriorating building that housed the community’s previous community-owned restaurant.  It sounds like they’ve got a good thing going with the restaurant.  Its features include:

It’s also home to the Logan County Economic Development Offices, which set up the foundation that manages the restaurant.  I bet many of Napoleon’s neighboring communities are envious.

It’s important to attract people

It sounds like the community is excited about the restaurant.  The Bismarck Tribune quotes foundation board member Jennifer Schumacher:

“It was such a moment of joy. I thought - I think we all thought - this is such a turning point for Napoleon,” she said. Without much debt to service, the new venture should succeed, she said.

“We have a new drug store, young people are moving in and wind towers are going up. With such a beautiful restaurant here in Napoleon, we can do it,” Schumacher said. (source: Lauren Donovan, “Napoleon benefactor builds restaurant for community” Bismark Tribune, 12-2-09) 

That’s economic development

Any community seeking to attract young people (Gen Y) has to evaluate the availability of local food services.  It’s something they look for when choosing a community to call home. 

With this in mind, I’ve been thinking about how the Napoleon might leverage this restaurant effort for further economic development.  Two thoughts have emerged:

First, what can be done to foster a true “third place” atmosphere, making it a place where people of all ages and backgrounds meet for conversation?  We know that conversation between people of varying backgrounds in third places can lead to greater community trust (e.g. bridging social capital).  But third places don’t magically emerge.  They take thoughtful consideration and effort.

Second, could the community-owned restaurant be leveraged to create a local foods initiative?  Perhaps, they could make a commitment to buying locally raised foods.  The kitchen could also be a “shared use kitchen” that helps entrepreneurs develop new food products. 

Both of those ideas will take more effort and possibly more financial capital.  They may or may not be right for Napoleon.  But rural communities need to think like this to maximize their economic development efforts. 

Small towns also need people like Reuben Wentz who are willing to invest in their community’s future. 

Note:  Thanks to John Crabtree of the Center for Rural Affairs for making me aware of this story in their January newsletter.   Readers may also be interested in past ReImagine Rural stories about community owned grocery stores. 

Photo Credit:  FreeWine - Flickr  

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Are you toiling in the urban mailroom?

December 22nd, 2009

As I mentioned in my previous post, there is a lot of insightful information in this Minnesota Public Radio virtual forum.  I shared some of the best themes and comments in that post, but I wanted to pull out one comment for publication by itself.

Late in the conversation, Jennifer Gumbel (10:52) provided the following insightful comment:

I feel I live in an area that is brain-gaining… SE MN. I’m originally from Sioux Falls and have lived in the Cities and in Des Moines. I now live in Le Roy, MN and work in Preston as an attorney. My professional and personal life is more fulfilling in many ways than my big city classmates. I have more responsibility on more interesting cases. I’m a homeowner and live next to a State Park. I have the opportunity to play part time in a symphony. I see many of my colleagues or friends who are originally from this area returning. I couldn’t be happier to be in a small town.”

Wow!  What an endorsement for rural Minnesota.

What Jennifer suggests is an often overlooked attractor to rural places:  Many talented young people who migrate to the city often end up toiling in the mailroom, while their rural counterparts are taking on real responsibilities right away.

Obviously, that’s not universal for every person and job, but it’s important to note because we know Gen Y is very interested in being given responsibility.  If I were recruiting a young person to work in a rural community, I would definitely emphasize this point.

And congratulations to Le Roy and Preston, MN.  Sioux Falls’ loss is rural Minnesota’s gain.

 

Photo Credit — libraryimages - Flickr (Preston, MN 1874 — click to enlarge)

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