Rural Youth Assembly FAQ

1. What is the age limit for nominees to the Rural Youth Assembly?

Nominees must be between the ages of 18 and 25 at the time of the Youth Assembly announcement on February 1, 20102. May non-youth attend this event?
Space for this event is limited, and we want to create a forum in which the concerns of young people are front and center. Therefore, we can only consider applicants who are ages 18-25. Published materials of the proceedings and messages generated by youth participants will be shared broadly and openly with all at the close of the proceedings. And we’ll have other events where generations can work together on rural issues.

3. What are the key goals for the Rural Youth Assembly?

• To bring a diverse group of young people together to further explore the unique challenges facing rural youth,
• To identify the creative assets that young people offer, and
• To create a context for how these issues fit into the overall framework of national rural policy.

4. What is the National Rural Assembly and how is the Youth Assembly related to its efforts?
The National Rural Assembly is a network of 450 organizations in 47 states devoted to building a healthier, more vibrant rural America. The Rural Assembly works across sectors and regions to create a more effective voice for rural communities in national and state policy discussions. The Assembly’s goal is to bring its policy agendas into national discussions working in alliance with other groups and directly with policy makers.

Through a series of activities and gatherings like the Youth Assembly, the Rural Assembly strives to build a sense of unity and rural pride across the group of young people for the purpose of countering youth outmigration and building stronger, sustainable rural communities.

5. Do I have to be a policy “expert” to attend this event?
No! We are looking for passionate young leaders that care about their communities and that represent a range of rural experience across income, race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, geography, and educational background.

6. How can my organization get involved with the Youth Assembly?
The Rural Assembly welcomes the endorsement and support of rural organizations and leaders. Please consider formally endorsing the Youth Assembly by clicking here.

7. Why is this event being held at the Institute of American Indian Arts?
IAIA is located in one of the most diverse concentrations of Native peoples in North America, in the heart of the nation’s oldest multicultural community and in one of the largest Native art markets in the country. A key goal of the Rural Youth Assembly is to highlight the diversity of rural people and places, and Native culture and community represent an important, often forgotten part of rural America. The location and facilities of IAIA will allow for authentic exchange around issues of rural race, ethnicity, and culture.

8. Do you have to be from a rural place to attend the Rural Youth Assembly?
We want participants who know firsthand about the life and culture of rural communities. If you think there would be some question about your rural qualifications (based on your current address, the organization you are working for, or some other factor), please explain in your application how you feel you have rural experience or could represent rural issues.

We will not use a rigid rural definition for the purpose of reviewing applications. But if you’d like a good rule-of-thumb definition, the Daily Yonder has a map that charts rural, exurban, and urban counties. Generally, for our purposes, both rural and exurban counties can be considered rural.