Rural by Design
Kenyon Grant to Spur Economic Development
by Encarnacion Pyle
The Columbus Dispatch Blog, September 10, 2010
We often hear about farmland preservation and environmental protection, but what about rural sustainability? Kenyon College has received a $248,500 grant from the McGregor Fund to launch a three-year program intended to help shape rural sustainability and foster local economic development for decades to come. Rural by Design, a program conceived and directed by sociology professor Howard Sacks, will nurture rural sustainability in Knox County as a national and international model. The program will fortify the relationship between the Knox County community and Kenyon, spark collaboration among faculty and programs within the college, and provide opportunities for student internships and entrepreneurial initiatives. It will conclude in the spring of 2013 with an international conference. About 200 students will participate in the program.
“Rural by Design is an attempt to design an approach to ensure the long-term vitality of rural character,” Sacks said. He said Rural by Design is the culmination of 30 years of study on rural issues. It is built on the school's Food for Thought program that focused on local food production and markets. Rural by Design includes a set of interrelated projects, including sustainable-crop development and entrepreneurship, identification and development of “public spaces” for community interaction, and an international outreach that will include student and faculty exchanges with overseas programs.
The Columbus Dispatch Blog, September 10, 2010
We often hear about farmland preservation and environmental protection, but what about rural sustainability? Kenyon College has received a $248,500 grant from the McGregor Fund to launch a three-year program intended to help shape rural sustainability and foster local economic development for decades to come. Rural by Design, a program conceived and directed by sociology professor Howard Sacks, will nurture rural sustainability in Knox County as a national and international model. The program will fortify the relationship between the Knox County community and Kenyon, spark collaboration among faculty and programs within the college, and provide opportunities for student internships and entrepreneurial initiatives. It will conclude in the spring of 2013 with an international conference. About 200 students will participate in the program.
“Rural by Design is an attempt to design an approach to ensure the long-term vitality of rural character,” Sacks said. He said Rural by Design is the culmination of 30 years of study on rural issues. It is built on the school's Food for Thought program that focused on local food production and markets. Rural by Design includes a set of interrelated projects, including sustainable-crop development and entrepreneurship, identification and development of “public spaces” for community interaction, and an international outreach that will include student and faculty exchanges with overseas programs.