Post by Partners for Rural Impact

Rural communities are full of innovation and leadership. When we activate investment in place-based partnerships, we strengthen local capacity to turn those assets into lasting economic mobility. As part of America's Rural Future, a bipartisan initiative from The Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute co-chaired by former Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and former Governor Chris Sununu (R-NH), leaders traveled to Eastern Kentucky to listen to local educators, employers, health systems, community organizations and other rural leaders about what's working and what rural communities need to thrive. Their conversations highlight how locally rooted, place-based partnerships align education, workforce and community systems to help attract investment, grow the workforce and create stronger pathways to opportunity. It's a reminder that when rural communities have the resources to work together around a shared vision, they create opportunities that benefit generations to come. #RuralAmerica #EconomicMobility #PlaceBased #WorkforceDevelopment #CommunityDevelopment