Convene a study group to examine the impact of proposed national and state education reforms (e.g., school choice, vouchers, property tax funding) on rural youth. Share your findings and your opinions with legislators and policy makers.
Create a teen exchange or partner program with a rural community. Visit them and invite them to visit you. Talk about the unique joys and frustrations of life in each community.
Raise funds to support alternative schools in your community. If your community already has a well-established alternative school, consider adopting a rural community and helping them establish the educational opportunities needed by their youth.
Identify organizations working to end the school-to-prison pipeline and work with them to provide alternatives to incarceration for young people. Include in your work a comparison of incarceration rates for African-American young men and others. Consider what needs to be done in your state to eliminate the inequity.
Create a college or university program that works with nearby rural students every year, beginning in elementary or middle school, to help kids along the pathway to higher education.
Consider establishing or contributing to a scholarship fund specifically for rural youth of color who need tuition assistance for college or for apprenticeships, trade schools or internships.
Identify community leaders and organizations in your community or nearby rural communities that are working to support and mentor young people. Learn about the unique challenges they are facing. Consider volunteering, mentoring a young person or supporting them in their efforts.