Deep Roots Strong Futures: Advancing Rural Youth Economic Mobility

In partnership with Heartland Forward and rootEd Alliance, Sunnylands hosted a convening from February 4–6, focused on expanding economic and career opportunities for young people in rural America. Rural communities—home to roughly 60 million people, or one in five Americans—continue to face higher poverty rates and lower levels of educational attainment and labor force participation than metropolitan areas.

Addressing these disparities requires a new, coordinated strategy to ensure rural students gain both the skills and the opportunities needed to achieve economic stability for themselves and their communities. While promising initiatives exist, they often operate in isolation.

A more unified approach is urgently needed to set shared priorities and drive collective action. Our participants included leaders from philanthropy, government, education, business, and rural practitioner networks. This dialogue marks the beginning of a cross-sector community whose collaborations will translate into real-world benefits for rural youth and their communities in the months and years ahead.