The Rural Schools Collaborative is pleased to present the Fourth Annual National Signature Project, a $2,500 grant to an outstanding and innovative classroom project that exemplifies the very best in place-based education. The Fourth Annual National Signature Project award application is now open to any rural classroom teacher in the United States.

Join colleagues for a national conversation on March 19-20, 2021 hosted by the University of Georgia: Redefining Rural Students’ Success and Wellbeing: An unConference on Practice, Research, and Innovation. This virtual event will feature three keynote speakers discussing the past, present, and future of rural student success in American higher education. After each featured speaker, there will be facilitated discussion/idea rooms for attendees to share best practices, innovative ideas, and research. The unConference will highlight rural students sharing their experiences in higher education as well as a closing panel for summarizing ideas from the event and charting future pathways to support rural students.

For this gathering, we borrow the concept of the unConference from the technology and business worlds and will focus not on formal research presentations but on conversations with researchers, practitioners, policymakers, students, and the community. This will be the University’s inaugural national convening on the status of rural access into and through higher education and support for students once they arrive on campus—one we believe will inspire new considerations on policies and practices for the future of rural student success.

Spaces are limited so please click on the appropriate link below to register. Once you have completed your registration information, you will receive a separate link to pay your registration fee ($100 for non-UGA participants; $90 for UGA employees; free for UGA students).

A new industry in Eastern Kentucky is sending us all an urgent reminder that workforce readiness must be an educational priority.

AppHarvest, a sustainable greenhouse company based in Morehead, made its stock market debut last week. In a state with fewer than 20 publicly traded companies, the innovative agritech corporation looks poised to make an immediate impact on some of the state’s rural communities, and it’s investing in students to do it.

For those unfamiliar with its background, AppHarvest started as a 60-acre indoor farm for fresh, chemical-free produce in Morehead and recently broke ground on new farms in Berea and Richmond. The company’s indoor farming approach means that pesticides and inclement weather are never concerns, so farmers there can yield fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. One eye-catching part of AppHarvest’s approach is piloting container farms in nearby high schools, giving local students access to emerging technologies needed to learn the ropes and eventually take over as the company’s next generation of skilled workers.

It’s a winning combination—students learn valuable work-ready skills, AppHarvest gets to grow and train its own future workforce, and the economies of small towns like Berea and Morehead get a much-needed shot in the arm.

But it’s also a salient reminder that students who don’t have access to these kinds of opportunities—like high-quality STEM education or “work-based” learning experiences during the school day—may be at a real disadvantage when it’s time to join the workforce. It’s called the “skills gap,” and no matter where you look, you can see the writing on the wall.

Calling all PK-12 educators and school/district leaders in the U.S.: EdSurge Research is looking for a diverse group of virtual focus group participants for a research project about how educators respond to and are impacted by education news and resources. If you’re selected, you’ll receive a $100 Amazon gift card for your time. Apply here by March 3rd: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VOCFocusGroupInterest

In 2020 with the support of our generous sponsors, TREA was able to award $58,000 in scholarships to students from TREA member school districts and recognized them during Summer Conference. TREA districts have some AMAZING students!

The 2021 Scholarship Application is now available online. Who is eligible for a scholarship? Any graduating senior from a TREA member school district who will attend a post-graduate program or is enlisting in the military the following school year. Are there any limits on how many scholarship applications may be submitted by a school district? A school district may submit no more than 3 scholarship applications.

Refer to the scholarship page on our website to view the FAQs regarding the student scholarships. If you are interested in sponsoring a TREA Student Scholarship please email Bill Tarleton. We look forward to celebrating another group of successful TREA students.

Whitehall, N.Y. (NEWS10) It’s been nearly a year since the pandemic began, shutting down schools and sending kids home to learn remotely. Executive Director of the Rural Schools Association of New York State, David Little, said while there is some hope on the horizon for next year, for now, things mostly remain status quo for rural districts. “We all hoped we’d be in a different spot a year out,” said Little.

He said not only are the majority of students in his district still learning in a hybrid remote model, but internet accessibility is still an issue. He said many families are even driving to their schools and sitting the parking lot just to get wifi.

He said in order for students to return to full in-person learning, the state must relax their social distancing requirements. While teachers are a prioritized population for vaccination, he said the slow rollout and the lack of accessibility are causing more setbacks. “Even the Federal Government is saying we really hope everybody is ready by July. That’s not May, that’s not April, there’s an awful lot of school that is still going to be held under our current format,” said Little. When asked whether he thought the COVID vaccine would be mandated in schools, Little said he doesn’t see that happening anytime soon because it’s so new and could create a liability. He added that experts now say schools have proven to be an environment with low transmission.

Whitehall Superintendent, Patrick Dee, said if the state loosens restrictions, they’re prepared to bring their students back immediately for full-time in-person learning. “In our Junior.Senior high, our student body has been completely remote since the start of the school year as a result of the substantial damage that was done from the storm of August 24th. We do however believe that we will begin bringing back 7th and 8th grade students on March 1st and 9-12th grade students on or about March 15th. Our reconstruction has occurred much quicker than we had anticipated,” said Dee.

The Indiana Small and Rural School’s Association is proud to announce Bloomfield Jr. Sr. High School Teacher, Julie Evans, as our Indiana Farm Bureau. Rural Teacher of The Year.

Make informed food choices with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s updated Nutrition Facts label! The updated label can help you make food choices that contribute to lifelong healthy eating habits. Some of the changes include updated serving sizes; larger, bolder calories; and updated Daily Values and nutrient listings. Check out the changes at www.fda.gov/NewNutritionFactsLabel.

Doctors, dietitians, and other Health Care Professionals: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has updated the Nutrition Facts label. The new label makes it easier for you and your clients to make informed food choices that contribute to lifelong healthy eating habits. Some of the changes include updated serving size information, Daily Values and nutrient listings, and calories and serving size information appearing in larger, bolder font. Learn about all the changes to the label to help your clients form healthier eating habits: www.fda.gov/NewNutritionFactsLabel.