SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A nationwide movement aimed at improving the quality of life in rural America, including Illinois, says it's now focused on involving youth.
The National Rural Assembly – a coalition of more than 500 organizations – calls its new effort Kids, Climate, Connection.
In a nation with 50 million rural residents, Rural Assembly chairman Dee Davis says some families and communities are disenfranchised by isolation and poverty.
He notes in many small towns, adults often say, “I think I'll be OK, but what about the kids?”
"We've got to create a different landscape,” he stresses. “We have to create more opportunities for rural kids, and we've got to put them in a position where they can create their own opportunities."
Davis says the high rate of child poverty has rural America facing, in his words, "a lost generation of kids and families."
He maintains addressing that problem is key to improving opportunities for young people and prompting them to stay in their rural hometowns.
Davis says the big challenge is creating innovative business opportunities that will make a difference.
"More and more, what we're seeing is, jobs are portable,” he points out. “People are going to live where they want to live. Your employment's going to be in the laptop you carry.
“It's important that we begin to reimagine rural communities, so that young people have a real opportunity to make a difference there."
Davis says rural America offers a wealth of climate solutions, including wind and solar energy, while broadband-starved rural communities need better connection to the global economy.
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Representatives from the building and design trades will gather this weekend to showcase their professions to Minnesota youth.
Organizers want to establish a pipeline of future industry leaders, including those from underserved communities.
Minnesota's job vacancy rate for construction is near 4%.
It's not as high as other sectors, but officials say they're still trying to overcome longstanding challenges in getting more young people to enter the field.
Brian Kelley is the founder and director of the Young Builders and Designers Program - and said as teens consider their futures, it's worthwhile to let them know more about in-demand jobs with steady incomes, such as plumbers and electricians.
"These are trades that are always needed," said Kelley. "There's work there, there's work in those environments."
Kelley said while these jobs might not seem glamorous, making these connections helps youth realize skills they might not know they possess.
His program hosts a convention this Saturday afternoon at Kenny Elementary School in South Minneapolis.
Partner organizations will sponsor up to 100 low-income youth to attend, so they can learn about opportunities that might help them overcome economic disparities.
For disadvantaged youth who might not be able to attend college, Kelley said a career in the trades could make a huge difference when entering the workforce.
"If a young person is 18- or 19-years-old and they're migrating themselves into a job where they may make $25 or $30 an hour," said Kelley, "that's the difference between renting an apartment and owning a home."
Through its outreach, the Young Builders and Designers Program emphasizes career exploration and entrepreneurship.
Kelley said it's not just learning about construction tools, noting the workshops also teach kids about design work, architecture, and engineering.
He added that they incorporate cultural and historical information to help shape the minds of kids considering these professions.
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A Hungarian-born girl who grew up in Terre Haute is reminding Hoosiers only they control their destiny - by sharing her inspirational story in celebration of International Women's Day.
Long before Cheyenne Stewart found her stride in school, she felt alone, bullied and shy.
She was not alone. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2021 found 57% of U.S. teen girls reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless.
However, Stewart found her place of belonging - and more importantly she found her voice, when she joined her high school's Key Club.
"I started getting used to feeling like a lone wolf who was just managing things on their own," said Stewart. "Key Club really was the first safe haven that I experienced getting me past day-to-day school experience to working for a much bigger cause."
Stewart found refuge in Key Club, a student-led, non-profit organization.
Her star quickly rose from being a new member to overseeing operations for more than 100 Key Clubs in Indiana, and embodying the spirit of International Women's Day.
Stewart learned firsthand the transformative power of community and resilience, when she was elected one of 13 students on the Key Club's international board of trustees.
"Twelve of us were women, selected by about 2,000 people, at the international convention," said Stewart. "It's a testimony to show how impactful women can be for an international perspective as well."
Stewart's impact extends far beyond her leadership roles. She helped start a program to underscore the importance of intergenerational connections by pairing Key Club students with elderly people in Terre Haute.
A program which continues today.
Stewart is currently a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame where she continues to emphasize the importance of finding similar people and embracing leadership potential.
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The newly released 2024 Kids Count Data Book finds the well-being of Indiana is better this year than last.
More than 1.5 million children live in Indiana, where research showed fewer of them live in poverty, face food insecurities and are involved in behaviors like underage drinking and illicit drug use.
Tami Silverman, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute, said the findings shed light on the realities and experiences of Indiana's younger generation.
"We rank 13th for education, 16th for economic well-being, 29th for health and 31st for family and community," Silverman outlined. "When we're looking all around, we're at 24th, so we know that the 'state of the child' in Indiana is good. 24th is still in the middle."
Silverman pointed out there is more work to do as Hoosiers grow up in a rapidly changing world marked by disruptions, from the global pandemic to finding their way through a world where technology and social media can heavily weigh on them.
She noted while the state is moving the needle in the right direction in several categories, the indicators for youth mental health are alarming.
"The percentage of high school students who felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks was up to 36% in 2022," Silverman reported. "Indiana ranks 10th for children at risk of depression; we're 15th for youth at risk of suicidal ideations."
Indiana has seen a decline in teen birthrates but infant mortality is on the rise.
Silverman added the state is also working hard to improve literacy, especially for third graders.
"Fifty-nine percent of them can't read at a level that they're comfortable with," Silverman pointed out. "In fact, there's some pretty large initiatives focused on that. And right now, there's a goal the state has set that 95% of third graders will be able to read by 2027."
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