|
It
was "Hats Off" to participants at
One hundred and nineteen participants gathered at Wisconsin's 4th Rural Summit to "set the action agenda for rural Wisconsin's Future" and learn how to "save RURAL from the efficiency experts." On November 28, 2001, residents from
across the state, including 27 high school students from 8 rural school
districts, gathered at Stoney Creek Inn & Conference Center, Wausau/Mosinee
working in roundtable sessions to find creative solutions to issues
such as The Brain Drain; Child Care Access & Affordability; Development
Pressure on Farm Land; Small School Survival; Jobs & Living Wages;
Elderly & Long Term Care; Affordable Health Insurance; Small Business;
and Community Capacity & Leadership -- all topics chosen by the
participants in a pre-summit survey as critical to the survival of rural
communities. Led by master facilitator Gerry Campbell, professor at UW-Madison Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, and volunteer facilitators at each table, participants learned a new way of creative thinking about these issues -- by applying six different perspectives or "hats" -- to examine each issue in depth. At the end of the day, participants had developed a priority list of issues within each topical area, and carved out some conclusions and strategies to deal with the issues.
Results from the Wisconsin Rural Summit 4 have been compiled into a report which is being distributed to participants, WRP members, and policymakers. Click
here to read the Summit 4 Progress Report issued April 2002!
|
Participants
were treated to an inspirational address on "Saving Rural From
the Efficiency Experts," by Marty Strange, policy director for
the 
rural
versus urban or suburban schools, has caused rural schools to become
more creative and share their good ideas with each other. Strange's
luncheon address served to remind Summit participants that rural schools
have benefits not found elsewhere, and that rural residents' desire
to maintain healthy communities and have economic stability demands
that the schools are healthy, too.