National Service and Rural Development

This forum was held to deliberate on the potential of service as a strategy for rural development with an emphasis on examples of effective programs.

This meeting was held at the Northwest Area Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the third in a series of three forums. Co-sponsored by the Rural School and Community Trust, Rural Policy Research Institute, National Rural Funders Collaborative, the Regional Rural Development Centers, the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, Rural LISC, and CFED, the forum involved 45 national service program representatives, rural development organizations, funders, and policymakers in a day long discussion.

The goal for the event included was to illustrate the potential of service as a strategy for rural development, with examples of effective national service programs being discussed. Participants deliberated on ways to:

Encourage the rural and service communities to work together more closely.
The need to exchange information about what works in the field.
And how to develop policy recommendations for funders and policymakers.

Participants were also addressed by Mil Duncan, Director of the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, and Rachel Tompkins, President of the Rural School and Community Trust. They gave illustration on the gaps, options, and opportunities that exist for national service in the context of rural development. A panel presented programs that illustrate the effectiveness of national service in addressing a range of issues in rural areas across the country. David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, spoke about the continued and expanded success of national service as a strategy for community-based rural development. Participants also discussed strategies and identified policy recommendations related to the intersection of national service and rural development.

Download the conference report here