February 1998 Book Chronicles Success in Rural Communities
A recently released book challenges the popular belief that rural and remote communities do not have the resources to provide meaningful work- and service-based learning experiences for students on any large-scale basis.In Finding Their Own Place, Dr. Bruce Miller and Karen Hahn chronicle how three schools helped lead efforts to provide community-based learning opportunities for their young people while contributing to the health and vitality of their rural areas. Miller, a Senior Associate in NWREL’s Rural Education Program, and Hahn, a former Research Specialist in the program, probe the combination of factors and the local initiative that sparked three communities to create opportunities for rural youth to participate in meaningful and instructive school-to-work experiences.
Miller has worked for years as a consultant and technical adviser in the three communities: Broadus, Montana; Methow Valley, Washington; and Saco, Montana. The book details how:
- Local initiative has led to a "bank" of more than 200 community-based courses ranging from investment banking to wildlife biology for students at Liberty Bell High School in Washington
- Students in Saco, Montana, teach evening computer courses to members of their small, remote community of fewer than 250 people; students also learn about other parts of the country by participating in more than 50 field trips a year
- In Broadus, Montana, students participate in a rural development course in their county high school which helps them assume active roles in community council meetings and task forces that have resulted in successful community development projects
"Community needs and school needs are interrelated," note Miller and Hahn. "This intersection of needs can create opportunities for the community and the school to work together to benefit students."
But recognizing the possibilities is only the first step, the authors note. "The test of success for such programs is determining whether a new and empowering partnership between the community and school has been created that can meaningfully impact the lives of rural youth and adults over an extended period of time. To bring this about, policymakers must recognize that partnerships that engage students in community-based learning require changes in the way schools prepare rural youth for the future."
Finding Their Own Place is available from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools, ISBN 1-800785-18-8. Copies are $12.
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