Archive for the ‘Youth’ Category

What’s going on in Hoffman, MN?

August 23rd, 2010

Thanks to a comment left on a blog post by Sheri Booms Holms, from the West Central Initiative Foundation, I learned about the community development efforts of Hoffman MN. Sheri lifted up Hoffman as a community that has “harnessed their can do spirit” in the face of decades of decline.  A couple years ago, most of Hoffman’s main street stood empty.  Enter Muriel Krusemark, who returned to town after years of managing a deli elsewhere.  She accepted the part-time job as  part-time coordinator for the Hoffman Economic Development Administration (HEDA), and that’s when all the fun seems to have started. 

Since Sheri left her comment, I’ve been scouring the Internet for information about what’s going on in Hoffman.  For a small town of 672, there’s a lot out there.  Perhaps the most informative sources are two short YouTube videos that capture Muriel’s presentation at this year’s Symposium on Small Towns at the University of Minnesota - Morris.  I’ve embedded both videos below.  (Note: unfortunately, the first part of Muriel’s presentation is missing.) 

(source:  “Muriel’s Hoffman presentation at the Symposium on Small Towns - part 2,” hoffeditor, YouTube, June 10, 2010)

 

(source: “Muriel’s Hoffman presentation at the Symposium on Small Towns - Part 2,” hoffeditor, YouTube, June 10, 2010)

 

In addition to the videos above and the links at the end of this post, I’ve also been talking to people about Hoffman, including Muriel, who I met at the Midwest Rural Assembly.  I’d like to lift out a bit of what I see happening in Hoffman.

 

8  ”bright spots” from Hoffman, MN

1) Asking “what can I do to help?” When Muriel first accepted her part-time job as economic development coordinator, she went around to businesses and asked “What can we do to make your business better?” In one situation, the business owner replied that he needed more space. Although she couldn’t finance a new building, Muriel helped connect him with a resource provider who verified that an expansion made financial sense. As a result, he moved into a larger space. Today his business is thriving.

2) Supporting entrepreneurs. Retail is tough in any small town. To address this issue, Hoffman created what might be termed a “business incubator.” Called The Galleria, the community purchased two vacant buildings on Main Street, and created attractive retail space from which multiple retail businesses could sell their products. Not only is the space affordable, but it addresses the issue of staffing; products from businesses are always for sale, even if the business owner is not always present. The Galleria is now privately owned and does not offer any formal businesses assistance training. But from the people I talked to, it sounds like Muriel is filling that void with advice she’s picked up over the years. Currently, there are twenty-two businesses operating out of this space.

3) Listening to the public. With assistance from a college intern, Muriel created a survey, asking the residents what issues needed to be addressed. High on the lists were increased healthcare offerings and a hardware store.

4) Improving health care.  When the community survey shows residents wanted more health care services in Hoffman, Muriel helped secure a grant to develop the Healthcare Mall. It replaced two more empty buildings on Main Street and has helped bring four medical professionals to Hoffman.  Now the elderly don’t have to drive elsewhere to receive medical care.

5) Building local economy.  Both the Galleria and the Healthcare Mall were public projects that help keep dollars in the community.  But an equally impressive effort has been the establishment of the Hoffman Farmer’s Market.  The market resulted from a rumor that went around town two year ago.  Since everyone was so excited about the rumor, Muriel decided she’d better create the market.  Listening to Muriel talk, I think it’s become more than a farmers market; it’s become a third place where residents come together to build relationships.

6) Creating amenities that attract people.  Hoffman is not located in a region noted for its outdoor amenities.  But in order to make the community more attractive to young families, they have taken steps to improve their recreational facilities.  For instance, they created an ice skating rink so that kids had something to do in the winter.  But when they noticed it was going unused, the community didn’t give up and call the project a waste.  Instead they discovered that children weren’t using it because they didn’t have skates. They addressed the issue by seeking a donation that helped purchase skates for children in need. 

7) Improving the housing stock.  It’s often easy to think that developing new housing should be a private sector project.  In Hoffman, the city took responsibility and helped create a new housing development, selling the lots for one dollar.  Even though the new houses that fill the development today are mostly from people within the community, I’m sure the development played a significant role in attracting the fourteen new families that have moved to Hoffman in recent months by opening up some of the older (and more affordable) housing stock.

8) Being transparent.  “Transparency” is a big word in the world of social media marketing.  Because word travels fast with social media, businesses have to be more open and honest with their customers than ever before.  (Just ask BP what happens when you don’t.)  I was very impressed to find many video clips of HEDA’s meeting being shared on Youtube.  Muriel tells me that most residents don’t access the videos online, but posting them as a part of the public record helps instill confidence and reduce false rumors. 

There’s a lot of good stuff going on in Hoffman.  What impresses me most is that there appears to be an understanding that there’s no quick fix to their problems.  The future will be tied to consistently developing lots of little projects that make sense in their community.  And with Muriel leading the charge, I’m sure Hoffman will have a bright future.

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The Marshmallow Maker

June 23rd, 2010

Context:  Your 4-year-old son loves marshmallows.  He loves marshmallows so much that he wants to make his own, so he can experiment with different flavors.  Your family already makes their own cheese, so you say why not.

What Happens Next:  You make batches upon batches of marshmallows.  You and your son perfect the recipe, giving bags upon bags of marshmallows away for birthdays, holidays, any and every kind of event.  A year later, your son learns how much each batch costs, he designs the label himself and he hires you, your spouse and your 3-year-old son to help make and package the marshmallows for sale.  He then gets a website and a Facebook page and starts selling marshmallows to people all over the country.

Pretty extraordinary, huh? 

Canaan Smith, now 7-years-old, is exactly the type of entrepreneur Mike was thinking about and Cameron Herold was talking about in a May 3rd post.  When a 4-year-old asks you to help him make a batch of marshmallows, you figure it’s pretty harmless and say, “Why not.”  A year of making and selling marshmallows to all your guests passes, and he decides to expand his market and go global.  What do you say?

To be honest, at the beginning of this summer I probably would have thought, “Don’t be silly, who wants to buy marshmallows from a 5-year-old.”  After reading all of Mike’s posts about encouraging young entrepreneurs and giving our children different creative learning opportunities, I would like to think that I would whole-heartedly support it.  In fact, I just bought two bags of marshmallows from Canaan, one each of peppermint and vanilla.  If my office-mates are lucky, I might share.

If your kid, niece, nephew or neighbor kid came up to you asking for help with their own marshmallow company, what would you do?  Do you think you would have to ability, and courage, to help them get started?  Or would you be too afraid of the time commitment and potential let-down that is present in all start-up companies?  A few months ago I probably would have said no.  But now, I see how immense a learning opportunity this is - not only for the child, but for me too. 

I have a 1-year-old niece and 4-year-old nephew and I have started thinking about different ways to help develop their creativity, independent thinking, and a fearless nature.  Not only are these qualities essential for any entrepreneur, but they are also vital life skills in almost any business or profession.  As Canaan’s mother, Megan, puts it, “He is one driven little guy! We love supporting him in his business and love to watch him go for his dreams.”

Whether it is helping with a start-up business or buying a few bags of marshmallows, what are you doing to inspire and support our youngest entrepreneurs?

 

Photo: Thanks to Megan Smith for sending us this great picture of Canaan enjoying his favorite food!

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ReImagining a more creative rural educational system

February 9th, 2010

Yesterday I highlighted a video interview of Richard Florida on Big Think, emphasizing the movement of creative workers to careers in industries not usually associated with creative types. 

But the bulk of his message, which I left untouched yesterday, is that we need to reimagine our educational system.  You may listen (or re-listen) to the interview in the video below. 

 

 (video source:  “Reinventing the way Workers Learn,” Big Think

Florida’s emphasis on the lack of social skill training in education reminded me of the advice Jim Beddow offered college students when he was the President at Dakota Wesleyan University back in the 1980s and early 1990s.  He encouraged students to develop skills that enabled them to: 

Jim still offers this advice to young people, and has since added a forth key; learn to network (both in personal and online).  To support his advice, Jim often cites successful individuals who embody these skills.  Two things strike me about his list of examples.  First, a great many create success outside of their chosen field of academic study.  And second, these individuals are incredibly entrepreneurial and creative. 

As regular readers recognize, I’m a former high school teacher, and am often a critic of the educational system in our rural communities.  My primary grudge is that our current educational model was developed for the industrial economy, which means we trained them to be successful in urban communities with stronger industrial economies. 

In the video interview, Florida tells us that “nibbling around the edges” of the educational system won’t develop the types of change that our country needs to grow our economy.  I would agree. 

But what does that mean for our rural communities?  Do we have to wait until business and political leaders are ready to transform education?  I hope not.

Instead, I would call on rural educators to look within their classrooms, and figure out ways that they can teach these skills to their current students.  Not only will students benefit as individuals, but I think our rural communities will benefit as well.

 

Note:  Readers may be interested in  these additional video interviews of Richard Florida on Big Think

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ReImagine Rural Education

November 6th, 2009

Lately we’ve been calling on rural communities to “reimagine” their futures by focusing on transformational strategies rather than those of revitalization.  In a recent post on the Daily Yonder, Timothy Collins reminded me that this can’t take place without “reimaging” the future of education in our rural communities.

Collins, the assistant director of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University, wrote his post titled “Speak your peace: Longer School Year, and Better,” in response to President Obama’s call for lengthening the number of days in the school year.  While recognizing that lengthening the school year should improve education, Collins sees a bigger opportunity: 

If we’re going to lengthen the school year, let’s talk about real changes that will not only improve student achievement, but also build rural communities capable of participating effectively in the new green economy.

Schools and communities getting better together?  Yes!

 

The Roots of the Miner County story are in education

In Miner County, SD we view the Miner County Cash Flow Study, conducted in 1996 by high school students, as the start of our transformational activities.  In this project, the students sought to reverse a decline in local purchasing by (1) studying local spending habits through a community survey, (2) sharing what they learned with community residents, and (3) challenging everyone to spend 10% more of their income locally in the upcoming year. 

It was the type of learning that doesn’t come from a textbook and definitely can’t be measured on a standardized test.  But equally important, it met two of the community needs:  it helped strengthen local businesses and increased tax revenues for the City of Howard.  In following year, residents increased local spending by approximately 40%. 

These and other place-based learning activities conducted in the school over the next few years strengthened the connection between the school and community. The work also played a key role in the Northwest Area Foundation selecting Miner County as their first partner in the Community Ventures program.

 

How can this be done?

Collins answers his call for change by producing a litany of outstanding ideas for connecting schools and communities.  It’s good stuff!  Not only do his ideas provide value to rural communities, but they also help build a bridge to the green economy and youth entrepreneurship. 

But how does one initiate the types of changes Collins advocates?  The following are a few thoughts I’d like to share. 

First, realize that no single person is going to accomplish change on this level by him or herself.  A superintendent or mayor can help lead the change.  But I think it requires deep conversation with the entire community. 

Second, find ways to prime the pump for conversation by making sure people are exposed to new ideas.  A good place to start would be with Collin’s ideas. Ask people to read and react to them.

Third, make sure young people are a part of the process.  Young people’s voices can produce powerful insights when adults treat them as partners. 

Whatever process is used, however, I think it’s important to remember that the essential question to focus on is “How do rural schools and communities get better together?” 

That’s Reimagining Rural Education. 

 

 Note:  The RLC is currently in the process of developing some free resources that help explain the Miner County Cash Flow Study.  Anyone interested in receiving the first one, titled the Miner County Cash Flow Study Resource Guide should sign up for it at the top of the sidebar.  Individuals who sign up will be notified as other resources are developed.

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Getting the Right Start in Pepin, WI

October 15th, 2009

Early this week, I had the opportunity to pack my suitcase and head to Pepin, Wisconsin.  Lydia Gnos, the elementary school principal in Pepin, and I met at a conference almost 2 ½ years ago where I shared the story of Miner County’s transformation.  The story resonated with her, as it does with many people, and she had kept Miner County’s story in her back pocket as she explored starting a community dialogue project in Pepin. 

Monday was the official launch of the Pepin-Stockholm Community Dialogue Project, and I was privileged to be a part of that start.  Sharing how dialogue transformed our community is just one of the ways we can help rural communities as they begin to reimagine their rural places. 

I am excited for Pepin.  The people there care deeply about their community (as evidenced by a great turnout of the “Key Communicators”) and realize that talking and listening to each other about their future is the first step. 

The presentation slides from the presentation, in addition to narrative about key concepts, are below.

Building Community Through Dialogue
View more documents from Rural Learning Center.

I think there are a few concepts that stand out as I think about starting the hard work of a community dialogue project in Pepin.  They include:

Handprints.  As communities look to change their future, recognizing the individual and collective role of our actions is key.  Our actions got us where we are.  The good news?  If you can see how you impacted the current state of your community, you have the agency to change it!

Community Capitals.  Cornelia Flora and Jan Flora have described our communities are a series of buckets, or capitals.  If we just fill one, our boat will capsize.  We need to pay attention to each area, and make sure we measure how our decisions impact our whole community.  Strengthening social capital (through projects like the dialogue project in Pepin) is a necessary first step.  Learn more about the community capitals here.

Involve young people.  Youth are vital in the process of transforming a community for several reasons: they can say what needs to be said (and question why things are the way they are) and they are typically not hindered by the prospect change.  In addition, it is important to involve youth in meaningful work in the community before they leave if you hope they will return someday (creating attachment starts with giving them a purpose in the community). 

As for the folks in Pepin, keep me posted on how your dialogue is evolving.  These are the days that will define your future!

See more photos of my trip on Flickr here!

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Are polar bears more important than rural communities?

September 18th, 2009

Let me begin by saying that I love polar bears and believe Americans need to alter their daily lives to help combat the global warming that is destroying the polar bear’s environment.

But it also seems to me that most Americans care little about the future of rural communities.  And apparently, I’m not alone. 

 

Hollowing out the Middle agrees

I’m still working my way through the recently released Hollowing out the Middle:  The Rural Brain Drain and What it Means for America, but I’m far enough along to offer a few thoughts.  (I also wrote about it back in April, before it was released.)

The authors open by asking the question that often troubles me:  “Why should we care about the future of small towns in the Heartland?”(p. ix)  They then offer a statement that inspired the above headline:

Though the small town claims an iconic place in the American psyche, we are considerably less alarmed by the emptying out of the prairie and plains towns than by the endangered status of the polar bear, an altogether more universally vulnerable symbol and one that our kids can easily comprehend and mourn the loss of.  (p. ix)

Unlike most books that begin with “whoa onto us” statements like the above, the authors quickly redirect the direct the energy of the book from blaming others to that of self-reflection. 

They close their preface by stating, “It is people’s actions that ultimately determine whether a place hollows out.” (p. xiv)

Yes! I agree.

 

We are responsible

Rural residents have as much responsibility for the future of their communities as free market economics or government policies.  We choose where we buy our groceries.  We choose how trashy or vibrant our communities look.  And we choose how our young people feel about their communities by what we tell them and how we invest in them. 

Unfortunately, little attention is ever directed at this last statement.  And that’s why this book is so important.

 

Just Do it!

So why do Americans today care so much for the polar bear and so little about rural communities?  I suspect it’s because some passionate individuals took notice of the polar bear’s plight and have attempted to do something about it.

I know that’s an oversimplification, but I’m confident our actions will speak loader than our words alone. 

Where should you begin?  I’d recommend purchasing Hollowing out the Middle and learning more about why young people are leaving the American Heartland.  And then, if you think it’s worthy, recommend it to a friend, and spark a conversation on the subject. (I’ve already purchased a copy for a friend at the Souuth Dakota Department of Education.)

It seems to me that as we take action (like Iroquois, SD is doing) and build a conversation, we will be successful at raising the awareness of the importance of Rural America.  Not only will our communities be stronger, but others will finally “get it” and understand our passion for rural. 

And who knows, maybe someday we’ll be as important as the polar bear.

 

Photo credit (top):  Oxfam International - Flickr.  (Let me be clear that I am in no way attempting to belittle those who seek to save the polar bear.  On the contrary, we can learn much from their passion.)

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Don’t Ask, Don’t Care

September 9th, 2009

Have you asked a young person lately what they think of their community or what they’d like to change to make it a more attractive place for young people to live? 

If you haven’t, you are not alone.  According to a study of young people in rural northeast Nebraska, only 29% of the 1,833 students in the study responded that they had been asked questions of this nature.

That begs the question: if we don’t ask, does it mean we don’t care?

I don’t think so.  It’s my observation that rural residents care deeply about the future of their communities and recognize how important young people are to that future.  The problem is that we don’t know any better.

 

But not knowing is not an excuse!

That’s why I’ve been waiting impatiently to read Hollowing out the Middle, ever since I learned about it back in April.  The authors studied the “brain drain” issue in a rural town in Northeast Iowa, and concluded that rural residents play a significant role in driving young people away.   

The book, which was recently released, should arrive on my doorstep by Friday.  (Thank you Amazon.) Even though I’m sure it will offer insights into how we can better retain our young people, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that one of the first steps is to show young people that we care about them.  We may think that young people already know this, but when we don’t ask questions like “what do you want this place to be like?” they tend to forget. 

It may be a few weeks before I’m able to finish Hollowing out the Middle, and I’ll share my insights with you here.  What I haven’t shared with you yet, however, is that there’s more to the story about Nebraska’s youth. 

 

The Rest of the Story

What’s remarkable about the Nebraska youth study is that despite not being asked about the future of their rural communities, most still want to return.  According to the Nebraska Community Foundation (who helped fund the study along with The Connie Fund), 51% of those surveyed could see themselves living in the area in the future if career opportunities are available.  And only 12% felt that their rural community was too small.  (See page 6-7 of the Summer 2009 issue of the Nebraska Community Foundation’s newsletter). 

That news leaves me wondering what the results would be if we started asking young people what they want their communities to be like, and then made  them a part of the effort to achieve it. 

 

See also:  Omaha World Herald article titled “Neb. kids like hometowns.” 

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Why does “Rural” matter?

September 2nd, 2009

In our part of the country, most rural communities have experienced 50-80 years of economic decline.  This decline often leads to feelings of despair and hopelessness. 

A Sense of Hope

At the Rural Learning Center (RLC), however, we have a sense of empowerment and hopefulness.  We base that optimism in part on the progress being made in Howard, South Dakota and surrounding Miner County, where our work began.

Two of the most compelling signs of that progress include the Howard municipal sales tax revenues and the construction of the second phase to the Rural Learning Center.

 

How did you get started in Miner County?

As Randy Parry, President of the RLC, indicates in the video below titled “How did you get started in Miner County?” our work began with high school students studying local sales tax trends. Seeking to make an impact, these students shared their learning with the citizens of Howard.  Their efforts as well as the innovative community development work that followed sparked an “invest in local” movement  resulting in significant business investment that translated into  record sales tax revenues.   (see image above)

Today, we are celebrating the groundbreaking for Phase II of the Rural Learning Center in Howard.  Dignitaries from around the country will be in attendance to help us celebrate and “reimagine” the possibilities for our rural places.

Why does Rural Matter?

But as we do, I think it is important that we reflect on why rural communities matter and why the Rural Learning Center is important to their futures. 

To help initiate that conversation, I’ve produced a short video in which I asked Rural Learning Center employees those very questions.  I hope it spurs you to reflect and share your thoughts on the subject.

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Youth: Renewing the Countryside

August 18th, 2009

My roots as a high school teacher draw me towards seeing young people as a big part of the answer for the future for rural communities.  All too often, however, we celebrate young people who succeed in urban areas, while neglecting those who thrive in our own rural communities.  That’s why books such as Youth: Renewing the Countryside are so important. 

Produced in a partnership between Renewing the Countryside and Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), the book highlights stories of entrepreneurial young people (under age 35) from all fifty states who are doing something special in their rural communities. 

Jan Joannides of Renewing the Countryside offers a more complete description of the book in the video below.

I picked up a copy of the book at the Midwest Rural Assembly, and quickly fell in love with it.  It’s the type of book that could inspire other young people to see a future for themselves in rural places.

That thought caused me to reflect on work in Howard High School (SD) in the mid-1990s.  Recognizing that young people know more about life in urban areas than in their own communities, we attempted to embed the study of place in our classes.  For instance, one exceptional teacher, Mary Stangohr, used the book Broken Heartland to help students understand how the changing face of agriculture was affecting their lives.  Powerful learning.

After reading Youth:  Renewing the Countryside, I’d recommend it to any innovative high school educator, seeking to inspire their students.  Just reading and discussing it in the classroom would be awesome.  But I could see teachers using it to inspire their students to produce a book of their own with stories from their community or region.  After all, as Jan highlights in the video, Youth was produced by young people.

But barriers, perceived and real, will make this unlikely.  The biggest barrier may very well be cost: where does a teacher find the money to buy books like this in times of ever tightening school budgets?

If you are a high school teacher and would like to engage your students in this type of project, I’d recommend that you make your desires known and then work to make it a reality.  My guess is that if you let enough people know about your desire to inspire young people, someone or some organization will eventually hear and agree with you that this is an important project.  It won’t be easy.  But being a part of the solution for your community will be well worth it.

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Energize Clinton County props the RLC

August 7th, 2009

I’ve been overcommitted lately and just haven’t had much time to write.  Near the top of my writing “to do” list has been to pass along what I learned from a conversation I had last week with Mark Rembert of Energize Clinton County.  So when Energize CC propped the Rural Learning Center yesterday on their blog and Facebook page, I felt the need to make time for a post.

As readers may know, Energize Clinton County is a grassroots movement focused on reinventing the economy of Clinton County, Ohio aroundsustainable principles.  The effort is being led by two young guys, Mark Rembert and Taylor Stuckert. 

What impressed me most during my phone conversation with Mark last week was his belief that they are making an impact on how young people view their community.  Mark, who is in his mid-twenties, explained people of his generation (Gen Y) are entrepreneurial and want to be a part of something special.  Research backs that up. 

Mark went on to say that they are beginning to see the benefits of this attitudinal change — young people are coming back.  He didn’t offer any statistics to support this claim, and he really tried not to over-hype it.  But I sensed that Mark sincerely felt they have established a beachhead in the on-going battle against young people moving away from rural communities.

So what’s leading young people to change their attitudes about Clinton County if the county isn’t flush with jobs? 

I think there are two reasons:

First, guys like Mark and Taylor are out there talking to their friends about opportunities.  Opportunities to be involved in Energize CC, and opportunities to create their own businesses.  This is significant because Gen Y listens more to buzz generated by their friends than they do promotional websites. 

Second, they are communicating using tools and language that young people connect with. Yes, Mark and Taylor have a knack for being cool, and they are using social media to spread their message to people who live outside of Clinton County.  If rural communities want to keep their young people, they need learn this language and use these tools. 

This is where I think rural communities and organizations in our part of the Midwest need to stand up and pay attention to Energize Clinton County.  It’s also why I feel “the props” should really be going to them.

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