By exploring photographs, maps, and historical accounts from journals and newspapers and conducting oral histories and historical interviews, students developed a new appreciation of the Chinese contribution to the history and culture of their town. In eastern Kentucky, students at Stanton Elementary School have immersed themselves in the bluegrass music traditions for which the area is known. One out of four students gets individual lessons on some kind of bluegrass instrument fiddle, banjo, bass from a member of the community. The school s musical performance group, the Wise Village Pickers and Singers, includes students aged five through twelve, and has performed at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards show. Many of the programs funded by the Rural Trust have addressed rural economic issues through student efforts to develop new economic opportunities in their communities.
Some notable examples follow.
In Rutland, South Dakota, a tiny town of only 29 people, got the one thing it really wanted a convenience store while an enterprising group of Rural Challenge high school students learned math, management, and other skills by running their own business. Students in Rutland polled the town s residents about what the town needed to make it a better place to live. They found out that a convenience store was something everyone wanted. Armed with that information, the students established and now run a convenience store that also sells gasoline and serves as a community meeting place. In Lubec, Maine, Rural Trust high school students in this remote rural fishing community are revitalizing their town s economy and preserving its rich maritime history through an aquaculture project.