Latest Updates from ruralprosperityne.unl.edu

As I write this, fall is just beginning, and it is time for fall festivals, garage sales and all sorts of activities as the temperatures cool off. How is your community celebrating the changing seasons? Are you working with neighboring communities to draw in larger crowds?

Every fall, as towns and organizations gear up for holiday events and activities, a common refrain is heard: "We need new people!" Yet transitioning to new leadership and volunteers is easier said than done.

So why do we hear these statements – what is happening? There could be a couple of things going on…

Rural Prosperity Nebraska is leading the charge on revolutionizing leadership development for Nebraska’s rural communities by hosting a leadership Chautauqua on Nov. 8 in Kearney, which kicks off a multi-step revisioning of traditional leadership development programs.

Most rural Nebraskans see the lack of civil discourse in the political system as at least a somewhat serious problem, according to the 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll. About one-third of rural Nebraskans surveyed rate this lack of respectful discourse as either a very serious (32%) or somewhat serious problem (33%). Only 5% say it is not a serious problem.

In a previous article I mentioned sharing stories about the communities that I visit. I’ll do that during this column. I recently visited Franklin, Neb. and saw banners on their light poles celebrating local veterans. I thought this was a great idea, and even though I had left the city office minutes earlier, I went right back in to hear the story of the banners.

Jon Alvarado, CEO of Teach Financial Literacy, describes his online financial literacy courses with one word: empowerment.

“The course is an understanding of finances,” Alvarado said. “But it’s also an understanding of your behavior around finances. It might not always be that you’re focusing strictly on the numbers, but you’re also focusing on the psychology about how you behave around money.”

Rulon Taylor is the newest Extension educator to join the Rural Prosperity Nebraska team. Based in Curtis on the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture campus, Taylor works as a statewide engagement coordinator for the Nebraska Regional Food Systems Initiative. Having grown up in Curtis, he’s not only familiar with the state, but he also knows what helps rural communities thrive.

Tell us about your family life.

I come from a large family. There is myself, my parents and four siblings. My whole family lives in Nebraska.

Most communities in Nebraska have had a declining populations for decades. The Iowa State Extension program has a project called Rural Shrink Smart. This is a program that studies and helps communities that have a shrinking population but still figure out ways to increase their quality of life.

In the final week of this series, let’s look at “change” as the central piece that brings everything together and gives meaning and purpose to the rest of the C’s.

Change is often the primary goal of leadership—to make the world (or at least your little corner of it) a better place. What usually sparks change is the feeling that something needs to be done, that things aren’t working as well as they should by just following what we’ve done in the past.

In week eight of this series, let’s explore the last of the 7 C’s—“citizenship.”

Citizenship is the only community/society value included in the social change model, and it suggests that the individual and the collaborative group both become connected to their local community and broader society through the leadership development activity they are working on.

Rural Nebraskans are increasingly pessimistic about their current and future well-being, according to the 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll.

Over the past 28 years, the Rural Poll has asked respondents about their current well-being and outlook on their future. This year, 27% of respondents indicated they are worse off than they were five years ago, up from 21% last year and 11% in 2021. This is the highest level since 2009, when 28% believed they were worse off.

In week seven of this series, let’s explore number six of the 7 C’s—“controversy with civility.”

This group value in the social change model recognizes that in any group effort, differences in opinion are likely, and those differences must be shared openly but calmly. Civility is respect for others, willingness to hear each other’s views, and holding back on criticism. This is easiest if you have already identified a common purpose to work towards.

Our Place After School Care in Hastings is unique among its peers. While many Nebraska communities have found solutions to the burgeoning need for quality child care through grant funds or contracts with licensed locals, Our Place serves a different and often overlooked demographic — teens with special needs.