A study examined the unique conditions affecting quality of life for low-income rural children and their families in Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Qualitative data were gathered from 11 focus groups conducted in a variety of rural communities, including tribal reservations, across the three states, and from interviews with professional…

Economic liberalization and the rise of global competition have increased the importance of agricultural, technical, and business skills for small farmers in Brazil. However, many rural farmers are unable to attend agricultural technical schools due to low educational attainment. The first section of this paper discusses the impact that…

Rural to urban migration has caused Mexican American families to deemphasize traditional cultural socialization practices oriented toward obedience and responsibility, and their children have become increasingly field-independent and competitive. However, an ecological intervention approach can reshape urban environments so that they support…

Howe-To Industries is an intergenerational entrepreneurship program at John de la Howe School, a residential school for at-risk youth in rural South Carolina. The program recruits volunteer older adults to teach business and life skills to students. Addresses the benefits of intergenerational programming and offers strategies for program…

A study examined characteristics common among young offenders from rural communities who were involved in multiple-fatality school shootings. Data on six cases involving eight offenders revealed six common offender characteristics: verbal threats, peer rejection, interest in violent media, previous violent behavior, suicidal ideation, and violent…

In a national sample of 10,416 high school seniors, rural students had lower educational and occupational aspirations than urban or suburban students, but rural students' aspirations were consistent with the perceived expectations of their parents and teachers. (SV)

An investigation of effects of community change on children's lives explored the proposition that, in both rural and urban Kentucky since the Second World War, children have lost shared multigenerational activities, freedom to roam, and open unstructured time. Data included oral histories from residents born 1895-1950, archival research, and…

Subcultural differences in the types of stressors, coping strategies, and control beliefs reported by 32 10- to 14-year-old Egyptian Moslem girls from middle-class, country, and innercity backgrounds were investigated. Implications of findings for the study of stress and coping from a cross-cultural perspective are discussed. (SLD)

This pilot study investigated self-esteem and achievement of 42 black male rural junior high school students identified as at-risk by their teachers. Self-esteem was significantly related to achievement test composite scores and science and mathematics subtests, as well as to average grade and English and social studies grades. (SLD)

Reviews the history of county fairs and their role in providing agricultural education, transmitting traditional values and skills, and encouraging intergenerational learning. Summarizes experiences of rural youth who have, as a result of participating in the Bauer County Fair (Wisconsin), increased their understanding of and commitment to rural…

Energy Express is a summer reading and nutrition program for disadvantaged young children in 80 rural West Virginia communities. College student/AmeriCorps mentors support childrens' literacy by creating a print-rich environment, using a place-based curriculum, and providing activities, including a community service project. Two case studies…

This document reports on 13 pilot projects of the Flexible Services Development Project (FSDP), which was initiated in Ontario, Canada, in 1988 to improve child care services for rural families, families with unusual work schedules, families facing short-term emergencies, and families with children who have short-term illnesses. The data and…

This bibliography includes journal articles, short publications, and books related to issues of youth and employment in rural areas and small towns. Each of the 80 entries includes title, author, periodical, publication date, publisher, National Agricultural Library call number or ERIC document number, and a brief annotation. Brief directories…

In the 1980s, the falling incomes and climbing poverty rates characterizing young workers in rural America were closely linked to rapidly changing national and international economic systems. Findings of a recent Senate Budget Committee study indicate that between 1979 and 1987 the share of young workers (ages 16-34) with low-wage jobs increased…

A career training program funded by the Job Training Partnership Act was developed in Loudon County, Tennessee, to alleviate the stresses that are described in the hypothesis that occupational aspirations and expectations are lower for rural, female, economically disadvantaged, and handicapped youth than they are for other youth. To participate,…