Partners for Rural Impact

📚 We can’t wait to hear from Chris La Tray, author and the 11th Montana Poet Laureate, at the 2025 Rural Library Network eSummit! An Anishinaabe/Métis storyteller and citizen of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Chris is known for weaving history, identity, and place into powerful literary works. His latest book, Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home, has been celebrated as a moving exploration of belonging and resilience. Chris challenges us to think deeply about community, heritage, and the stories we carry — and how those stories shape the future we build together. His keynote promises to inspire library leaders with new ways of seeing the role of libraries as keepers and catalysts of story. 📅 December 3, 2025 🕛 12:00-5:30 PM ET 🔗 Register today: cvent.me/YMaO9A

We are pleased to announce the release of a study by The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute which provides a comprehensive review of community-based strategies aimed at improving educational achievement and workforce development. While the study focuses on Utah, it provides valuable insights into what works in all rural communities. PRI’s founder and CEO Dreama Gentry was honored to contribute to the study by sharing the impactful work done by our place-based partnerships in Appalachian Kentucky, East Texas and Mexico, MO. “This study marks a significant step forward in demonstrating the value of place-based work in ensuring young people in rural America are on a path to upward mobility. I look forward to building on it with Promise Partnership Utah and other rural serving organizations across the country.” Over the next few months, the findings will be shared in a series of road shows in locations across Utah. “This research underscores the potential of community-based partnerships in creating pathways to success,” said Andrea Brandley, senior education analyst at the Gardner Institute and author of the report.

What happens when an entire generation of young people loses hope for the future? Dreama Gentry, By All Means senior fellow at The EdRedesign Lab, has seen it firsthand in Appalachian Kentucky, where too many students and families have stopped believing that opportunity is possible. As founder and CEO of Partners for Rural Impact, she’s working to change that story by helping schools, communities, and families learn to dream again. In this episode of the Harvard EdCast, Gentry shares how “cradle-to-career” pathways are rebuilding hope in rural America and why the future of education depends on keeping rural students in the picture. 🎙️ Listen here: https://bit.ly/3KRhX41

PRI President and CEO Dreama Gentry comes from a rural community that, like many across America, has often been left out of national conversations. In NationSwell’s Impact Next series, she shares her journey from her Appalachian roots to leading a rural movement powered by communities, ensuring rural places nationwide are engines of opportunity. Through her work, Dreama has shown that collaboration creates real paths for rural youth to thrive. Driving change in rural America requires place-based partnerships and leaders focused on aligning partners, driving results, and improving outcomes for young people. Read the full interview and hear more about a movement built on partnership, community, and the belief that demographics should not determine destiny:

Registration is now OPEN for the 2026 Rural Summit for Cradle to Career Success! Join us April 12‑15, 2026, at the Buffalo Convention Center in Buffalo, NY, for a transformative convening of teachers, school leaders, higher-ed partners, workforce professionals, and philanthropic allies. Exchange proven strategies, spark collaborations, and drive change across the cradle‑to‑career journey. 💡 We’re also now accepting proposals for breakout sessions! Share your expertise and insights with fellow rural education and workforce leaders. Submission deadline: November 15, 2025. Register and submit your proposals here: https://cvent.me/0Bwlm9 #RuralSummit26

💼 We’re #hiring! PRI is seeking a Senior Director, Maryland to lead statewide initiatives that expand opportunity in rural Maryland and ensure rural voices are represented in advocacy and funding efforts. The Senior Director, Maryland will: 🔹 Lead PRI’s strategy and serve as the public face of our work across Maryland 🔹 Collaborate with the Maryland Governor’s Office for Children, the ENOUGH Initiative, and other key partners 🔹 Develop and manage cross-sector partnerships to drive statewide impact 🔹 Use data to monitor impact and strengthen outcomes 🔹 Lead fundraising and funder-supported projects across the state If you’re passionate about driving opportunity for rural communities and want to make a lasting impact in Maryland, we’d love to hear from you. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/eK3EsiJP #MarylandJobs #BaltimoreJobs #NonprofitJobs #NonprofitLeadership #LeadershipOpportunity #JobOpening #NowHiring

Happening tomorrow at NAFSCE (National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement)’s National Assembly! Join PRI’s Missy Scent, Family Training Coordinator, and Jenny Hobson, Director of Family Partnership Capacity & Civic Infrastructure, for Chill Ways to Break the Ice: Connecting Without the Cringe. Discover fun, low-pressure ways to build genuine connections between schools and families. This interactive session will explore approaches that move past awkward icebreakers and create welcoming spaces where families feel valued and engaged. Participants will leave with practical strategies from the New Hampshire Statewide Family Engagement Center to strengthen relationships in their own schools. If you’re attending #NAFSCEAssembly25 in New Orleans, don’t miss this one!

We’re thrilled to announce that our president and CEO, Dreama Gentry, will take the stage as a featured speaker at The Golden Thread on November 2 in Louisville, KY! Hosted by the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange in partnership with Kentucky Performing Arts, The Golden Thread brings together visionary leaders, artists, and community builders from across the Commonwealth to explore Kentucky’s civic health and the power of working together across divides. 🎟️ Purchase your tickets before October 14 and you’ll be entered into a drawing for an exclusive backstage meet and greet with writer and KY Poet Laureate Silas House and musician Nicholas Jamerson! Don’t miss this annual celebration of connection, collaboration, and creativity. Learn more and get your tickets at kyrux.org/golden-thread.

📚 Big news for this year’s Rural Library eSummit! We’re thrilled to welcome beloved social media icon, library advocate, and soon-to-be new host of Reading Rainbow, Mychal Threets, as one of our keynote speakers. Known for his joyful storytelling and passion for making libraries feel like home for everyone, Mychal has inspired millions with his advocacy for literacy and the role of libraries as places of community joy. Mychal will remind us why libraries matter and how they transform lives. Don’t miss this inspiring virtual event where rural library leaders and partners share real strategies, ready-to-use resources, and fresh ideas for how libraries can drive community change and help every rural student succeed. 📅 December 3, 2025 🕛 12:00-5:30 PM ET 🔗 Register today: https://cvent.me/YMaO9A

📣ANNOUNCING THE FIRST RURAL YOUTH LEADERS COHORT 2025/26! 📣 Meet the 6 community teams and their dedicated members developing local projects (and their leadership!) between now and July 2026. Each team has 2 Youth Leaders and 1 Cultural Steward and is supported by a local organization. Rural Youth Leaders is a new collaborative initiative rooted in place, culture, and the transformative power of youth leadership. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ejnM-Ui2 #ruralyouthleaders #rural #youthleadership #future #ruralartsculture #theatre #photography #dance #storytelling #education #publicart #art #culture