Description

Join us for an enlightening series of conversations with inspiring leaders making a difference in our communities.

This session you'll hear from Ben Winchester, Rural Sociologist and Researcher. Ben has been working both in and for small towns across the Midwest for over 25 years. He lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota with his wife and two children, is trained as a Rural Sociologist and works for the University of Minnesota Extension. He conducts applied research on economic, social, and demographic topics. He received the Rural Renewal Research Prize in 2021 for this work surrounding the theme of “rewriting the rural narrative”.  Ben will share his insights on community engagement and economic growth.

Bringing in new residents is vital to ensure the future of our rural communities. Studies of the motivations and factors related to rural workforce movers document a “brain gain” whereby people age 30-60 are moving to small towns and rural places since the 1970s, providing a re-invigoration of social, economic, and demographic life. This model incorporates research on community development, economic development, and tourism. Recruitment of residents is especially important in a tight labor market as now it’s not sufficient to show new potential residents the job, they must envision their life there. See how we live in the Middle of Everywhere across rural spaces during this session.

Plan to join us online? REGISTER HERE

Zoom LINK