A statewide survey of ideas for making rural Kansas a more compelling place for young adults to put down roots revealed the need for government investment in expansion of child care options and strengthening of entrepreneurial business pipelines. The state’s Office of Rural Prosperity worked with the Kansas Sampler Foundation to examine what Kansans aged 21 to 39 thought about recruiting and retaining them in small towns and remote counties suffering depopulation. The foundation drew upon 460 survey responses from all 105 counties and 175 follow-up interviews to identify why people chose to live in rural areas and why it might have been difficult to make that choice. The report acknowledged significant lack of affordable housing and access to broadband as determinants of the future in rural regions of Kansas. The document recommended local government leaders accept the necessity of forming a “culture of open minds and positivity.” That includes valuing diversity of culture, age, gender and thought, the report said. In addition, the state ought to craft a program reaching students in K-12 classes that speaks to the idea of harnessing skills, interests and passions of young rural Kansans useful in building sustainable rural communities. The objective is to convince the youngest Kansans they have a bright future no matter the size of their city or town.
Source: The Iola Register
