Online forum Tue. will examine what can be done to spur higher education in rural areas that have few colleges

More than 10 million U.S. adults live in an area that does not have any public institution of higher education within a one-hour drive, "which poses an incredible challenge for prospective students," says the Chronicle of Higher Education, which asks: "What can be done to help students in these places achieve an education?"

To answer the question, the Chronicle is holding an online forum, “Education Deserts: Supporting Rural Regions With Few Colleges,” at 2 p.m. ET Tuesday, May 23, to explore ways to expanding educational opportunities in what it calls "education deserts." To register, click here.

The speakers will be Laura Beamer, lead researcher on higher-education finance at the Jain Family Institute; Andrew Koricich, executive director of the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges and  associate professor of higher education at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.; and Alyssa Ratledge, a research associate in postsecondary education at MDRC (formelry the Manpower Demonstration Research Corp.). Chronicle senior reporter Eric Kelderman will host.

News-media roundup: Tue. webinar on newsroom mental health; how do news outlets regain the trust of the public?

In an analytical and wide-ranging editorial, the Dallas Morning News offers some ideas for restoring public trust in the news media, which it blames partly on "the decline of local news organizations." The paper calls for mroe education of the public about how news media work, and "putting all publishers on more equal regulatory footing, whether they are social media companies or television stations or newspapers." That's an allusion to social media, which the editorial says have disconnected Americans from their news sources by becoming funnels and filters for fact-finding journalism. They have also blurred the distinctions beyween fact and opinion, and blurred the definition of journalism. Here's a little "elevator speech" that every news outlet could endorse, share, post and repost: "The news business pays for journalism, which practices a discpline of verification; we tell you how we know something, or we attribute it to someone, and we're mainly about fact, not opinion. Social media are mainly about opinion, and have little or no discipline or verification; on which sort of media should you rely for facts?" --Al Cross, professor and director, Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, University of Kentucky

A free webinar at noon ET Tuesday, Jan. 17 will help journalists address, improve and prioritize mental health in the newsroom. Panelists are Scott Blanchard, director of journalism at WITF in Harrisburg, Pa.; Sewell Chan, editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune; Dr. Elana Newman, research director at the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma at the University of Tulsa; and Dave Seglins, an investigative journalist and well-being champion at CBC News. Naseem Miller, senior health editor at The Journalist's Resource, the webinar's sponsor, will moderate. Registration is required.

Gannett Co. is closing ThisWeek Community News, a group of newspapers serving suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, Axios Columbus reports. "The award-winning newspapers are not just the modest stalwarts of convenience store news racks, but also some of the few remaining outlets keeping the powerful institutions in their areas, like city halls and police departments, accountable," Axios reports. "An unspecified number of ThisWeek staffers are being laid off, a Gannett spokesperson tells Axios, while others will fold into the Columbus Dispatch's high-school sports desk.

E.W. Scripps Co. has placed six veteran print journalists in its broadcast newsrooms, launching its Google-backed Journalism Journey Initiative to keep accomplished journalists reporting by redeploying them on video-driven platforms. The two-year program will provide training and support. The six and their stations are: Angelika Albaladejo, a widely published freelancer, to KMGH, Denver; Mary Chao from The Bergen Record to Scripps News of New York and New Jersey; Jessica De Leon from the Bradenton Herald, to WFTS, Tampa; Bryan Horwath from the Las Vegas Sun to KTNV, Las Vegas; Daniel Lathrop from the Des Moines Register to Scripps News in Iowa; and Anne Ryman from The Arizona Republic to KNXV, Phoenix. The Journalism Journey Initiative plans to recruit a second cohort this year; more information is here.

Aspen Institute to host free webinar at 1 p.m. ET Friday to address the news and information gap in rural America

The Aspen Institute's Community Strategies Group will host a free webinar on addressing the news gaps in rural America this Friday at 1 p.m. ET.

The webinar is designed to explore one question with two divergent aspects: "How is your community thinking and acting on the issue of access to quality news coverage in rural communities and Native nations, as well as building trust and accurate rural narratives through national media?"

The institute says national narratives about rural areas, residents and Natives are largely inaccurate, and rural and Indigenous voices are missing from the wider discussion. It hopes to focus the webinar on solutions that will increase accurate rural narratives, "driven in part by high-quality journalism."

"We want you to join the discussion!" Aspen says. "Anyone and everyone interested in how accurate rural narratives, equitable information access, and national media coverage of rural areas can help their rural community or Native nation should plan to attend to share a success story or experience and to hear from others." Sign up here.

How older Americans can navigate the continuing pandemic will be the topic of a webinar at noon Tuesday, Oct. 11

Kaiser Health News and The John A. Hartford Foundation will host a webinar centered on older people and the state of the pandemic, which can be confusing, the Kaiser Family Foundation announced Wednesday. The presentation will be begin at noon ET Tuesday, Oct. 11. Learn more and register here.

The webinar will tackle questions like: "Is it over? Are ongoing precautions warranted? Should older adults get boosters? Should they continue to wear masks, and under what circumstances? What kinds of social interactions are safe and which may not be? How can older adults and their family caregivers best protect themselves in the months ahead, including over the holidays?"

Kaiser Health News columnist Judith Graham will moderate the event, which will have a panel of experts and a question-and-answer session. The panelists are:

• Dr. Sharon Brangman, distinguished service professor of geriatrics medicine at SUNY Upstate University Hospital
• Kathryn Haslanger, who runs JASA, one of New York City’s largest social service agencies, serving more than 40,000 older adults
• Jessica Kelley, a sociologist at Case Western Reserve University, with a focus on health disparities
• Dr. Eran Metzger, head of geriatric psychiatry at Hebrew SeniorLife
• Dr. Céline Gounder, an epidemiologist and infectious-disease specialist
• Richard Gard, a lecturer in music at Yale University before he was hospitalized in intensive care after contracting Covid-19 at the start of the pandemic.

USDA household food security webinar set for Wed., Sept. 7

The Agriculture Department's Economic Research Service will host a free webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 7, to discuss its annual report on the prevalence and severity of household food security in the U.S. in 2021. The webinar will begin at 1 p.m. ET and will last about an hour.

From the website: "The report includes changes in food insecurity from previous years, the prevalence of food insecurity by selected household characteristics, and food insecurity among children. Food-insecure households are defined as having had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all their members due to a lack of resources. Food-secure households are defined as having had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members."

Here's the report from 2020, and here's where the new report will appear when it's published.

Quick hits: An ode to 'leather britches'; webinar on covering methane Sept. 7; communities repurpose shuttered prisons

Here's a roundup of stories with rural resonance; if you do or see similar work that should be shared on The Rural Blog, email us at heather.chapman@uky.edu.

A beloved community theater company in a Colorado mountain town has found a way to survive the pandemic and thrive. Read more here.

Twenty-one states have partly or fully closed prisons and other correctional facilities since 2000; local leaders have found creative ways to repurpose the buildings as apartments, office space, whiskey distilleries, and even movie studios. The moves have served to strengthen the communities and their economies. Read more here.

The presence of Asian longhorned ticks has been confirmed in 17 states across the U.S. That's of particular concern to cattle producers since the ticks carry a highly transmissible disease called Ikeda that is sometimes fatal to cattle. Read more here.

The Rural Health Information Hub has a newly updated resource guide on rural home health services. Read more here.

The Society of Environmental Journalists will host a free Sept. 7 webinar to discuss the latest science, data, and policy initiatives around methane, tips on covering methane, and ways to track methane in your local region or around the world. Read more here.

The Daily Yonder offers up a contemplation of the love-em-or-hate-em Appalachian dish called shuck beans or leather britches. Read more here.

Three weeks after the Federal Communications Commission spiked rural broadband funding for Starlink and LTD Broadband, the agency has authorized an extra $800 million from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund for six providers to build out broadband in over 350,000 locations in 19 states. Read more here.

USDA officials will discuss their latest farm income and financial forecasts in a webinar at 1 p.m. ET Thursday

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will host a free webinar at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 1, to release its Farm Income and Financial Forecasts. The event will run about an hour.

The USDA's Economic Research Service releases the report three times a year, typically in February, August and November. From the webinar website: "These core statistical indicators provide guidance to policymakers, lenders, commodity organizations, farmers, and others interested in the financial status of the farm economy. ERS's farm-income statistics also inform the computation of agriculture's contribution to the U.S. economy's gross domestic product."

Click here for more information or to register. The report will be available here when it is released.

'Redefining Your Newspaper Business Model with Research' webinar, reporting on a Kansas experiment, set Thursday

The 200-year-old business model used by the newspaper industry clearly needs changing, and experiments are underway. A progress report on one major experiment will be the focus of a webinar Thursday, Aug. 25 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET.

Teri Finneman

"Redefining Your Newspaper Business Model with Research" will be presented by Dr. Teri Finneman, associate professor of journalism at the University of Kansas. She is leading an 18-month research project to test a new business model based on data collected from rural publishers and readers to help weekly newspapers adapt, survive and thrive in the 21st century.

With the study now in its final stages, Finneman will review in the live webinar what weekly newspaper publishers and readers have had to say, and present feedback from the publishers piloting the proposed memberships, e-newsletters and events model, as well as answer questions about the research project. Joey Young, owner of Kansas Publishing Ventures, will also be sharing his perspective as a publisher and research participant.

The webinar is being held by the Arkansas Press Association; the fee for non-members of APA is $30. Register at arkansaspress.org/event/APAWebinar. For more information email info@arkansaspress.org.

Finneman has been a print journalist and multimedia correspondent covering state government, business and enterprise. She talked about her project at the National Summit on Journalism in Rural America.

Election security webinar for Ky., N.C., Tenn., Va. and W.Va. set Aug. 18; agency issues guide to digital election threats

"Promoting elections accuracy and bolstering voter roll maintenance and cybersecurity" is one of six major policy trends to watch in state governments, Bloomberg Government reports, and local, state and federal elections are less than three months away. Next week, five Appalachian states will be the focus of a webinar for journalists and others interested in the topic.

The Election Cybersecurity Initiative of the University of Southern California will hold the webinar aimed at Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 18. Zoom login information will be provided upon registration, available here.

Topics of the webinar will include cybersecurity, cyber safety, disinformation, misinformation, and crisis response. Scheduled speakers are:

• Sarah Mojarad, lecturer, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
• Clifford Neuman, director, USC Center for Computer Systems Security
• Dave Quast, adjunct faculty, USC Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism
• Marie Harf, international elections analyst, USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative
• Maurice Turner, election security analyst, USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative
• Michael Coden, associate director, cybersecurity, MIT Sloan School of Management

The webinar will be hosted by Adam Clayton Powell III, executive director of the Election Cybersecurity Initiative. Questions? Email truevote@usc.edu.

Meanwhile, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released a guide to digital threats facing election officials and how to mitigate them. The Cybersecurity Toolkit to Protect Elections "aims to help election administrators and their staffs protect themselves against threats including phishing, ransomware, email scams, denial-of-service attacks and other vectors that could potentially disrupt the voting process or confuse voters," StateScoop reports.

Aug. 4 webinar will discuss new transportation grant program for rural and tribal communities

At 3 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 4, the U.S. Department of Transportation will host a free webinar to discuss its new Reconnecting Communities pilot discretionary-grant program for tribal and rural governments. 

From the website: "The RCP discretionary grant program is the first-ever Federal program dedicated to reconnecting communities that were previously cut off from economic opportunities by transportation infrastructure. Funding supports planning grants and capital construction grants, as well as technical assistance, to restore community connectivity through the removal, retrofit, mitigation, or replacement of eligible transportation infrastructure facilities.

The webinar will provide an overview of the program, applicable examples, and explain eligibility and matching requirements. See the RCP website or click here to register.

Local journalists should explain to readers how states ensure electoral integrity; this webinar recording can help

False claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election have left many Americans confused and distrustful of the electoral process. Local journalists can and should take the opportunity to inform readers about how elections are run at the state level to help mitigate the spread of misinformation and increase voter confidence.

To aid in that, here's a recording of a webinar held July 26 by the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution. The webinar "explored how electoral processes are managed in the states, the level of security these processes have, and the vital role of secretaries of state in guaranteeing that every vote is safe, accessible, and counted as the 2022 midterms near," according to the webinar's website. "Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.) presented a keynote address and participate in a fireside chat with Brookings’s Elaine Kamarck. Afterward, an expert panel further discussed the ways in which American elections are managed at the state and local levels."

'Reshaping the economic narrative around America’s rural communities' will hear from practitioners in diverse places

The Brookings Institution will hold a webinar, "Reshaping the economic narrative around America’s rural communities," Wednesday, June 15, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. EDT. RSVP to watch.

Brookings says, "Persistent narratives of population loss and poverty have shaped the stereotype of rural America as decaying communities rooted in decline for decades. This dominant narrative evokes powerful charitable emotions that stimulate billions of dollars in anti-poverty investments to support their survival. Unfortunately, these critical investments come at the expense of rural America's identity, which is now mired in a thick narrative of disempowerment and urban dependence. This portrayal underappreciates the durability and ingenuity of these communities."

The webinar "will host practitioners from diverse rural minority communities to explore ways to reverse the paradox of rural disempowerment and investment and expand the narrative about the places that 46 million Americans call home," Brookings says. "Panelists will discuss policy solutions to enable economic growth in these poorly understood communities."

Brookings Governance Studies fellow Makada Henry-Nickie will moderate a "fireside chat" with

Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, then moderate a panel with Olugbenga "Gbenga" Ajilore, Office of the Undersecretary for Rural Development, USDA; Teresa Burnett, executive director of the Monahans (Texas) Chamber of Commerce, Jamie Gloshay, (Navajo, White Mountain Apache, Kiowa) with Native Women Lead; Jennifer Grassham, president of the Economic Development Corp. of Lea County, New Mexico, and David Jimenez, CEO of the Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative of southeastern New Mexico.

Online viewers can submit questions for the speakers via e-mail to events@brookings.edu or on Twitter @BrookingsGov using #InclusiveOpportunity.

Aspen Institute's Community Strategies Group to hold virtual meeting on rural environmental justice Friday

The Aspen Institute's Community Strategies Group will hold a virtual meeting about rural environmental justice from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, June 3. To register, click here.

Aspen CSG says, "Rural America’s majesty derives from vast expanses of natural landscapes and ecosystems that produce value and benefit for our country and the entire world. However, inequitable practices and policies based on race, place, and class have too often burdened the most vulnerable rural communities with negative environmental and social consequences of an extractive global economy. Today, new rural and tribal efforts focused on environmental justice, just transitions, corporate stakeholder engagement, scientific conservation efforts, and Indigenous wisdom are helping balance natural ecosystems and strengthen local communities."

The meeting will include an optional meet-and-greet for peer networking, then the whole group will be in a discussion moderated by Bonita Robertson-Hardy, Aspen CSG’s co-executive director.

Rural Assembly Everywhere recorded sessions posted; see sessions on book bans, food security and more

The annual Rural Assembly Everywhere convention was held virtually on May 10-11. If you missed it, not to worry: playbacks are now available. Click here to watch them.

Here's some of what you'll see:

• A discussion on book bans and intellectual freedom, featuring residents of McMinn County, Tenn. The community was thrust into the national spotlight after its school district banned the graphic novel "Maus."
• Remarks from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
• Remarks from Agriculture Department Undersecretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small.
• Small farmers discussing food democratization.
• A discussion about apprenticeship opportunities for rural and Native American youth.
• Nonprofit Welcoming America hosting a conversation on building welcoming communities. The discussion will feature three female leaders from diverse backgrounds in Nebraska who will share their journeys to "build stronger connections between immigrant and non-immigrant communities, fight against divisive rhetoric, and ensure that inclusive policy is the norm in their communities."
• YouTube social and political commentator Justin King of "Beau of the Fifth Column."
• Neema Avashia, author of "Another Appalachia: Growing up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place."

The Rural Assembly and The Daily Yonder are programs of The Center for Rural Strategies, which calls the Assembly "a nationwide movement striving to build better policy and more opportunity for rural communities across the country." Click here for details.

Webinar tomorrow will discuss Federal Reserve Bank's new framework for advancing rural economic prosperity

The Federal Reserve's new book discusses its
new framework for encouraging rural prosperity

A free teleconference from 1 to 5:35 p.m. ET Tuesday, May 24, will discuss the Federal Reserve's new framework for advancing rural economic prosperity. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in collaboration with its national Board of Governors, will host an in-person discussion that will be livestreamed for online audiences. Discussion will center around ideas proposed in Investing in Rural Prosperity, a new book published by the St. Louis Fed that you can download free.

Speakers will discuss a host of specific issues:

• Ways to leverage natural assets to promote rural prosperity
• Strategies for investing in equitable resilience
• The need for more broadband investment
• Local collaborations between the health sector and community development
• Innovative case studies from France that use culture, nature, and innovation to revitalize smaller communities

Click here for more information or to register. 

Thursday NNA webinar will help community journalists cover elections; $20 for non-members, $5 for faculty, students

The National Newspaper Association will host a webinar at 3 p.m. ET Thursday, May 19, to help community newspapers cover this year's elections and discuss the critical role election coverage plays in preserving democracy. It's the second of a two-part series; NNA members may access the recording of the first one, held May 5.

From the website: "Election coverage is one of the most demanding and scrutinized tasks that faces newspapers, especially if readers perceive a newspaper to have a political 'bias' on its editorial pages. This webinar will help participants formulate a plan. First, some tips on how to organize for the campaigns including developing a calendar. And then by addressing some of the various elements of election coverage including candidate profiles, letters to the editor, editorial endorsements, and election night and post-election coverage. Substantive election coverage requires assigning responsibilities and setting dates for when specific tasks should be completed."

Jim Pumarlo

Lead presenter Jim Pumarlo is a newsroom trainer who worked for 27 years at dailies in rural Minnesota and served 16 years as the communications director at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. He is author of three books: "Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a Small-Town Newspaper"; "Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Campaign Coverage"; and "Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage for Beginning Journalists."

Co-presenter Al Cross, who was editor and manager of rural newspapers and longtime political reporter for the Louisville Courier Journal, is the University of Kentucky's extension journalism professor and director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which publishes The Rural Blog. "Election coverage is perhaps the best opportunity for newspapers to reassert their essential role in local democracy," he says, adding that new sample-copying power allows community papers to inform a wider audience.

The webinar is free for NNA members, $20 for non-member journalists, and $5 for students and professors. Click here for more information or to register.

May 19 NNA webinar will help community journalists cover elections; $20 for non-members, $5 for faculty, students

The National Newspaper Association will host a webinar at 3 p.m. ET Thursday, May 19, to help community newspapers cover this year's elections and discuss the critical role election coverage plays in preserving democracy. It's the second of a two-part series; NNA members may access the recording of the first one, held May 5.

From the website: "Election coverage is one of the most demanding and scrutinized tasks that faces newspapers, especially if readers perceive a newspaper to have a political 'bias' on its editorial pages. This webinar will help participants formulate a plan. First, some tips on how to organize for the campaigns including developing a calendar. And then by addressing some of the various elements of election coverage including candidate profiles, letters to the editor, editorial endorsements, and election night and post-election coverage. Substantive election coverage requires assigning responsibilities and setting dates for when specific tasks should be completed."

Jim Pumarlo

Lead presenter Jim Pumarlo is a newsroom trainer who worked for 27 years at dailies in rural Minnesota and served 16 years as the communications director at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. He is author of three books: "Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a Small-Town Newspaper"; "Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Campaign Coverage"; and "Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage for Beginning Journalists."

Co-presenter Al Cross, who was editor and manager of rural newspapers and longtime political reporter for the Louisville Courier Journal, is the University of Kentucky's extension journalism professor and director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which publishes The Rural Blog. "Election coverage is perhaps the best opportunity for newspapers to reassert their essential role in local democracy," he says, adding that new sample-copying power allows community papers to inform a wider audience.

The webinar is free for NNA members, $20 for non-member journalists, and $5 for students and professors. Click here for more information or to register.

Feds' resource guide and May 23-24 virtual meeting on placemaking aim to boost rural economic development

The Agriculture Department's Rural Development and the Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration have released a joint resource guide meant to help rural communities create and execute economic-development strategies.

The guide lists RD and EDA programs under four broad categories to help rural stakeholders get started: Infrastructure and Broadband Expansion, Entrepreneurship and Business Assistance, Planning and Technical Assistance, and Workforce Development and Livability.

Entries for each program provide a summary of its purpose, links to learn more and apply, the type of assistance offered (grants, loans, cooperative agreements, or technical assistance, for example), and who is eligible.

Another good resource for rural stakeholders is the Placemaking in Small and Rural Communities Conference, held May 23-24. The free, virtual conference is presented by Rural Development and by the University of Kentucky's Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky. Xochitl Torres Small, USDA undersecretary for Rural Development, will be the keynote speaker.

From the website: "Placemaking is a collaborative process among public, private, philanthropic and community partners to strategically improve the social, cultural, and economic structure of a community. The 2022 Rural Placemaking Conference aims to showcase effective placemaking strategies for rural areas, introduce attendees to placemaking resources and tools, and connect them to placemaking experts and potential funders."

The conference will offer online tracks on the following topics:

• Initiating Place
• Public Spaces & Gathering Places
• Community Cultural Planning & Assessments
• Cross-Sector Engagement

Click here for more information and click here to register.

Friday webinar will teach you how to use free Google Tools to punch up your business and data reporting and graphics

A hands-on digital workshop on Friday, May 13, aims to teach journalists how to use free Google Tools to strengthen your reporting. The workshop goes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET and costs $10. It's presented by a partnership of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Google News Initiative and is sponsored by the Mid-America Press Institute. Click here for more information or to register.

From the website: "In this hands-on workshop, SPJ Google News Lab trainer Mike Reilley will show you how to use free Google tools that can help your newsroom build interactive charts, maps, visualizations and more. Tools we’ll cover: Google Flourish, Google Dataset Search, Google Fact Check Explorer, Google Trends, MapChecking.com, Google Earth Studio, Earth Engine Timelapse, Public Data Explorer, advanced search, data scraping with Google Sheets and Google Flourish. Prior to the session, set up a free account at http://flourish.studio. Participants will receive handouts with exercises, links to tools and more."

Using those programs, Reilley will teach participants easier ways to scrape data from websites or PDFs and turn it into graphics (some interactive); how to scrape and track both real-time and historic stock-market data; and how to tell visual stories with satellite data, maps, and more.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Set up a free Google Earth Studio account as soon as possible, since Google must approve applications before granting access.

Rural Assembly Everywhere to be livecast Tue. and Wed.; breakout session Wed. will look at reporting on rural places

This year's Rural Assembly Everywhere will be livecast online tomorrow and Wednesday. 

One breakout session, at 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, will be "Reporting on Rural: The How and the Why." Caroline Carlson and Tim Marema of The Daily Yonder, Pamela Dempsey of the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting and Terrence Williams of The Keene (N.H.) Sentinel "will explore why accurate representation of rural communities in media is important," the Assembly says. "The discussion will dive into how we’re looking at rural data, what we’ve been working on lately, and how we assess rural stories, among other things."

Another session at 5 p.m. ET Wednesday is "Creative Power in Rural Places with Springboard for the Arts," an artists' support group. The day before, also at 5, a session will look at the future of rural communities and the nation through young voters.  The Assembly will also feature conversations with local and national rural and Native American leaders, including:

• Small farmers discussing food democratization.
• Xochitl Torres Small, the Agriculture Department's undersecretary for Rural Development.
• YouTube social and political commentator Justin King of "Beau of the Fifth Column."
• Residents of McMinn County, Tennessee, who are advocating for intellectual freedom after the banning of the graphic novel Maus in their school district.
• Neema Avashia, author of Another Appalachia: Growing up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place.
• Nonprofit Welcoming America hosting a conversation on building welcoming communities. The discussion will feature three female leaders from diverse backgrounds in Nebraska who will share their journeys to "build stronger connections between immigrant and non-immigrant communities, fight against divisive rhetoric, and ensure that inclusive policy is the norm in their communities."

The Rural Assembly and The Daily Yonder are programs of The Center for Rural Strategies, which calls the Assembly "a nationwide movement striving to build better policy and more opportunity for rural communities across the country." Click here for details.