This week we have a very special episode of the podcast featuring the OABCIG Middle School TAG students from right here in my hometown! I had the honor of getting to speak to them last week about my career path, and then we turned the conversation to them and talked about THEIR dreams for our small towns. We decided it would be fun to record this and share it with you here on the podcast! I loved this discussion so much and that so many of them have dreams for their future that involve staying right here! And that means we, as the generation going before them, have the responsibility to do our part to make it possible for them to live out their dreams here. I also want to direct you to an essay written by their teacher, Mrs. Masters, called What Rural Gets Right — expanding on the idea that RURAL schools aren’t completely disadvantaged, as some may think they are, and if we can look at the ways rural schools are positioned to meet individual student’s interests and learning needs, we can change that narrative. We’ve linked to that in the show notes and I would encourage you to check that out.  Check out more on the blog. SHOW NOTES:OABCIG Community School DistrictEssay: What Rural Gets Right RAISED TO STAY:We’re challenging small towns to create opportunities and shift the mindset of our kids so they choose to stay in our rural communities instead of leave. We’re surveying high school juniors and seniors across the country to gather important data. This data will give us the information we need to: Make our communities a place where young professionals can be successful Offer amenities important to this demographic (coffee shop, brewery, gym, housing, etc.) Better understand the needs and wants of the next generation Sign up to be included in our free survey. We’re also offering a limited number of in-person workshop opportunities. Get more info here. BE A PART OF OUR BOOK!Yes that’s right, we’re launching a book! And we want YOU to be a part of it! Imagine all the Rural Revival stories you love, now all together in the form of a beautiful coffee table book! Over the years we’ve collected so many great stories and we know there are so many more out there, so we’re asking you to submit YOUR Rural Revival story to be included in this new book. We want this to be a source of inspiration that you can keep going back to, or that you can give to help inspire someone else’s story! We are accepting submissions through May 31, 2024. Submit your rural revival story here! MORE FROM RURAL REVIVALWEBSITEINSTAGRAMFACEBOOK