Abstract

This report addresses community and educational issues of rural America as the United States enters the 1990s. Beginning with the collapse of the mining industry in a small, rural community in Idaho, it is shown that rural communities and their schools face great hardships resulting from numerous complex, interacting economic and socialconditions. But rural people are resourceful. Many communities are beginning to employ creativesolutions to solve theirsocial and economic concerns. In small, rural communities, a closerlook at how the school can serve community development needs is underway. However, the school appears to bea powerful, but under-utilized resource. Three general approaches for using the school as a catalyst for community development are described: School As Community Center, Community As Curriculum, and School-Based Economic Development. Several programs, notably Foxfire, REAL, and the work of the McREL's Rural Institute, havedemonstrated thebenefitsto begainedwhen theschool directly serves theneedsof thecommunity.

How to Cite:

Miller, B. A., (1993) “Rural Distress and Survival: The School and the Importance of "Community"”, Journal of Research in Rural Education 9(2), 84–103.

Rights: Copyright