Youth in Rural Minnesota
In this issue, we heard from authors from around the state who work with young people or are young people themselves. They discuss issues concerning themselves and their future in our state, everything from why the “brain drain” may be overrated to encouraging entrepreneurship to what schools should consider in creating our future leaders.
Click the links below to download the entire issue or individual articles.
RMJ: Volume 6, 2011 (complete issue)
Title, Table of Contents, Acknowledgments
Editor’s note
Marnie Werner, RMJ Editor and Research Manager
Center for Rural Policy & Development
The Glass Half Full: A New View of Rural Minnesota
Ben Winchester, University of Minnesota Extension, Center for Community Vitality, Morris; Art Nash, University of Minnesota Crookston;
& Tobias Spanier, University of Minnesota Extension, Center for Community Vitality, Marshall
Census data indicates that the rural “brain drain” may not be as severe as once believed. Is there a trend of families moving back to their
rural hometowns, and if so, what are they hoping to find when they get there?
Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Rural Health Care Workforce
Laurissa Stigen, Central Minnesota Area Health Education Center, Fergus Falls
As the Baby Boom ages, having an adequate health care workforce into the future is crucial to keeping rural areas livable. Various efforts
are going on to connect kids with the many options in health care careers.
The Seventh Generation: The Future of Minnesota’s American Indian Youth
Priscilla Day, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies
The higher-than-average rate of out-of-home placements among American Indian children is having lasting effects on not only the children, but their families, the community and the tribe.
You Can Be a Leader One Day
Bryan Joyce, Windom Area Schools
Education plays a vital role in a child’s future leadership potential. Joyce outlines four components necessary in education to create future leaders.
In Other Words: Sending the Right Rural Message
Neil Linscheid, University of Minnesota Extension, Marshall
What’s so great about living in a rural community? That’s what rural residents need to figure out if they want to attract people to their town, then get that message out there.
“I Want to Own My Own Business When I Grow Up”: Encouraging Entrepreneurship at a Young Age
Michael Nolan, Small Business Development Center, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Young people are the perfect candidates to be entrepreneurs, and there are a number of reasons they can and should be encouraged.
Reflections of a Young Farmer
Tracy Gaalswyk, rural Nicollet County
A lot has changed in farming over the past few decades, and it will continue to change. Gaalswyk comments on the differences between
farming in the past and farming today, and what needs to be considered for preserving farming into the future.
Shaping the Future of Local Government: How I See It
Jessica Beyer, Blue Earth County Government
As with everything, local government is also changing, adapting to new technology and new ways of doing things. Young people have distinct opportunities ahead of them in smaller communities that they may not have access to in an urban setting.