Support the Rural Trust!


Last Updated: November 28, 2012
 

Warmest wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season!

On behalf of the Rural School and Community Trust Board of Trustees and staff, we are very grateful for your continuing support and commitment to improving education and opportunities for rural students and communities. Our combined efforts are making a difference.

During this special time of year, we are thankful for our progress and ask for your support as our work together moves forward. Every contribution makes a significant difference and every dollar you gives goes directly to advancing our mission and goals.

Here are a few 2012 highlights:

Our Rural Teacher Development Program remained focused on strengthening the quality of rural teaching and improving teaching conditions in rural schools.

  • The Rural Trust Global Teacher Fellowship program provided rural teachers with a personalized summer professional development experience that involved international travel and participation in a place-based learning institute. More than 75 fellowships have been awarded with teachers traveling to dozens of countries around the globe.
     
  • Leadership Coaching resulted in whole-school improvement in low-performing schools.
     
  • Rural Teacher Corps partnerships prepared scores of teachers to work effectively in rural schools and districts.

Our Formula Fairness Campaign, dedicated to eliminating Title I funding inequities, continued to build momentum and new partners as we prepare to address this issue in the new Congress. This campaign, together with the work of our Rural Education Finance Center, is bringing national attention to the inequities in public funding for the education of rural students.

We continued to manage foundation grants and provide technical assistance and matching funds to rural partners receiving federal grants.

Our Rural Education Working Group partnerships are impacting policy issues at the local and state levels – out-of-school suspension and expulsion leading to increased dropout and incarceration of students at younger and younger ages, student access to effective teachers, equity, access to quality education – as we organize and advocate on behalf of rural students and communities.

Our signature Place-Based Learning Program continues to improve academic outcomes and build communities by engaging young people in important community and economic development work aligned with Common Core State Standards.

  • Youth-led Poverty Reduction initiatives returned nearly a half million dollars to senior citizens and low-income residents through student-run Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Centers.
     
  • Student-Run Credit Union opened new accounts aimed at asset accumulation for low-income students and families.
     
  • Student-run businesses filled service voids, expanding local economies, and bringing new life to low-income and remote rural towns.
     
  • Students are operating greenhouses and providing fresh vegetables for school meal programs and their remote rural community where such access is limited and very costly.

Rural Policy Matters, our acclaimed and often quoted monthly e-newsletter, has a national readership.

Why Rural Matters 2012-13, our signature biennial research report and analysis, describes the importance of rural education in each state. This report calls attention to the urgency with which policymakers should address rural education issues. Your support will help fund this vitally important work.

There is still much work to do on behalf of our rural children and communities. We are looking forward to 2013 with a new resolve. Join us as we double our efforts to make sure rural children, families, and communities have the support they need and access to the high-quality learning experiences they deserve.

We count on you as a valued supporter of our mission to give generously. Please continue your commitment by making a tax-deductible gift to the Rural School and Community Trust. Click the Donate button to make a secure online payment through PayPal or by credit card.

With much appreciation for your generous gift,

Doris Terry Williams
Doris Terry Williams, Ed. D.
Executive Director