Think your community is losing population? Join us on Tuesday January 24 when Ben Winchester will present on The Rural Brain Gain. He will explain how research is showing that some rural communities are gaining population.
Winchester will speak on January 24 from 8:00-10:00 a.m. at the Cedar River Complex Atrium, 809 Sawyer Drive, Osage, IA. This event is FREE and a light complimentary breakfast will be offered.
The population of rural America has changed significantly over the past 40 years. Nationally, between 1990 and 1999, over 2.2 million more Americans moved from a metro county to a non-metro county than vice versa. People aged 30-45 are moving into small towns which impacts core social and economic structures. These changes are positive ones as we look to the future.
Ben Winchester is a research fellow for the University of Minnesota Extension, Center for Community Vitality. He has worked in and for small towns across the Midwest for the past 15 years. He is currently conducting research on two topics vital to rural communities. The first is documenting “newcomers,” the influx of 30-49 year old people, to identify the social and economic opportunities of this migration. The second area involves the analysis of rural community leadership and future needs.
To pre-register for this event, please email incubator@niacc.edu or call 641-422-4384 or toll-free at 1-888-GO NIACC, ext. 4384.
This event is being held in collaboration with the Mitchell County Economic Development Commission and funded through The Iowa Microenterprise Assistance Program.
