Image source:  Pixabay

As someone who grew up in a very rural area (graduating class of 32, but 3 were foreign exchange students!), and someone who works with libraries serving rural communities, I’m glad to see national attention focused on the particular needs and challenges of education in rural settings.  YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) is considering these issues, especially as they relate to schools, but I bet people working with teens in rural areas will recognize some of these challenges and ideas with an Aspen Institute discussion titled No Longer Forgotten:  The Triumph and Challenge of Education in Rural America.  YALSA and the Association for Rural and Small Libraries are working together to convene cohorts of libraries that work with teens in rural areas to support each other and learn more about how to provide services that allow teens to be ready for colleges or careers.