Youth

Rural young people face unique barriers and opportunities as they make the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Rural children have a higher incidence of poverty and have less access to educational opportunities. They are more likely to live in areas with high unemployment. Factors such as these make it difficult for youth who are making the transition into careers, higher education, and starting families of their own.

But rural youth also experience unique opportunities. They are more likely to report that they have intergenerational relationships and that they consider their communities to be “tight knit.” Social factors such as these can be part of a nurturing environment that encourages healthy self-identity and relationships as young people move into adulthood.

Youth issues also play a large role in determining rural communities’ visions for the future, as young people’s decisions to stay, leave, or return their rural homes has profound consequences for local economies.

Because of its concern about these and related issues, the National Rural Assembly has created the Rural Youth Assembly, to be held April 22-25, 2010 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The event will gather 50 youth from around the country to identify and discuss youth issues. The Rural Youth Assembly will provide rural youth ages 18-25 with the opportunity to identify what they think are the critical issues facing rural America, how policies affect youth in particular, and what the nation might do differently to improve opportunity and increase success for rural youth. Participants will be selected to reflect the diversity of rural America in geographies, race, cultures, genders, incomes and sexual orientations.

Out of this process, the National Rural Assembly will create a series of statements and activities designed to support the creation of policies that better support America’s rural youth and their communities.