Energizing Entrepreneurs

Story of the Month

The Flipside of Brain Drain

by Karen Dabson

McCook Youth League members make plans.

In community conversations held by the US Department of Agriculture four years ago, the top-ranked issue across the nation was the exodus of youth, and thus the erosion of people and talent, from rural communities. Often referred to as “brain drain” in the major media, young people in McCook, Nebraska have given this expression a new, healthier twist.

“When we talk about brain drain, we are referring to young people in focus groups downloading as many ideas as possible about how to improve the community, especially in relationship to youth interests,” explains Dan McCarville, one of the progenitors of the McCook Youth League. Brain drain, McCook-style, may be the next best tool for reversing outmigration.

Read more about how youth in McCook, through their own efforts, are generating activities for young people, gaining the interest and support of the town establishment, and making plans to stay or return as adults. Click here to go to the full story.

RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship - P.O. Box 83107 - Lincoln, NE 68501 - 402-323-7339 - taina@e2mail.org

The RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship

The RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship strives to be the focal point for efforts to stimulate and support private and public entrepreneurship development in communities throughout rural America. By supporting practice-driven research and evaluation and facilitating shared learning among practitioners, researchers and policy makers, the Center works to encourage entrepreneurship development as an effective route to building prosperous, dynamic, and sustainable rural economies. The Center is part of the Rural Policy Research Institute, an organization dedicated to providing unbiased analysis and information on the challenges, needs, and opportunities facing rural America. To learn more about RUPRI, go to www.rupri.org.


About the Center Core Team HTC Team E2 Team Research Team Prospectus Advisory Group E of the Month Rural E News Library Center Research and Policy Reports E Stories Tools for Practitioners External Research Useful Resources Youth Resources Book Club Energizing Entrepreneurs Conference Proceedings Upcoming Trainings New Releases Energizing Young Entrepreneurs e² Energizing Entrepreneurs Partners - RRDCs Transfer of Wealth Analysis	Story of the Month The Flipside of Brain Drain by Karen Dabson McCook Youth League members make plans. In community conversations held by the US Department of Agriculture four years ago, the top-ranked issue across the nation was the exodus of youth, and thus the erosion of people and talent, from rural communities. Often referred to as “brain drain” in the major media, young people in McCook, Nebraska have given this expression a new, healthier twist. “When we talk about brain drain, we are referring to young people in focus groups downloading as many ideas as possible about how to improve the community, especially in relationship to youth interests,” explains Dan McCarville, one of the progenitors of the McCook Youth League. Brain drain, McCook-style, may be the next best tool for reversing outmigration. Read more about how youth in McCook, through their own efforts, are generating activities for young people, gaining the interest and support of the town establishment, and making plans to stay or return as adults. Click here to go to the full story. RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship - P.O. Box 83107 - Lincoln, NE 68501 - 402-323-7339 - taina@e2mail.org