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Executive Director Message
By Lee A. Jones, Executive Director for the Rural Partners Network
Greetings to you all. This past month I had the opportunity to visit communities on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. Experiencing El Yunque National Forest in its full beauty is an experience of a lifetime. While Puerto Rico is known for beautiful beaches and lush vegetation, visiting some of the more remote locales on the island, such as Utuado, serves as a reminder that natural beauty does not mask need. It is also a personal reminder that while need is a constant across many underserved rural American communities, the need itself…and how we approach realizing solutions to those needs…differs from place to place. This visit solidified once again that rural communities are not a monolith, yet we must dedicate ourselves to listening to the needs of the communities as we continue to implement RPN.
In the coming weeks, we will celebrate the impact the federal government has had on RPN communities, while also recognizing we have barely scratched the surface of what RPN can mean to the people we serve. I am excited by our potential, amazed by the dedication of rural people and our wonderful staff, and dedicated to the mission of RPN. Happy New Year to each of you and may this year bring forth positive growth and successful solutions in rural America!
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Rural Partners Network In Action/On the Ground
Read about the work that Rural Partners Network does on the ground in our Community Networks.
Secretary Vilsack Visits RPN Communities in Puerto Rico
In January, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited Rural Partners Network communities in Puerto Rico to speak about the challenges that the island’s rural areas face, as well as the goals and opportunities that RPN will bring. Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Farah Ahmad and newly appointed Rural Development State Director for Puerto Rico Maximiliano Trujillo joined Secretary Vilsack as he held panel discussions with Puerto Rican community leaders. RPN Executive Director Lee Jones and team member Cristina Rivera assisted on the ground as Secretary Vilsack made impactful declarations, including a USDA investment of $1 million to improve traffic access to El Yunque National Forest.
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Rural Partners Network Joins the Southern State Directors Meeting
The Southern State Directors kicked off the year taking care of business in New Orleans. The states of Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, and Florida make up the Southern Team of Rural Development. The mission of the quarterly meeting is to provide training and education on different opportunities for advancing our RD mission through stakeholder engagement, policy sessions and presentations for internal and external partners. This meeting included roundtable discussion and briefings from Dr. Corey Wiggins, Chairman Delta Regional Authority, Caitlin Cain, CEcD, MUP Vice President, Rural LISC, Ted James II, Regional Administrator SBA, Angela M. Richardson Woods, Rural Partners Network, and Dr. Basil Gooden, Administrator RD State Operations.
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Strengthening Community through Partnership Leadership Summit, Nome, Alaska
This month, RPN team member Christine Sorensen attended the Kawerak, Inc. Leadership Summit in Nome, Alaska. The goal of the Summit was to advance pathways with rural leadership in housing and infrastructure development. Following the Summit, the Denali Commission, in coordination with the University of Alaska, City of Nome, Kawerak, Inc., and American Federation of Labor held a Nome Workforce Summit. Rural Development Alaska State Director Julia Hnilicka and Rural Development staff also attended the summit and offered their support to community members and partners in supporting local projects in the Bering Straits region, including access to housing, job training, and community services. Pictured here are representatives from the Department of Transportation, Denali Commission, U.S. Housing and Urban Development and USDA Rural Development; all agencies attending the meeting in support of the Bering Strait region, an RPN Community Network. Watch a video of the Kawerak, Inc. Leadership Summit.
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RPN West Virginia Pioneer Community Network Holds Kickoff Meeting
What is the reality of rural West Virginia? This was one of the questions discussed by local leaders at the WV Pioneer Community Network Partner Meeting. The vast array of community leaders, movers and shakers attended this partner event discussing collaboration and working together to create a better future for the next generation. Community Network host Glenville University hosted the event. An attendee is quoted saying, “What a great meeting. Collaboration with our Rural Partners pinpointing our shared needs and discussing potential solutions, and projects…to leverage federal resources. Thanks, USDA!” Watch the WV Pioneer Community Network video.
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Rural LISC hosted the Rural Talks Seminar
The Rural Partners Network Team joined Rural LISC at the Rural Talks Seminar in December 2022 in Washington, D.C. At the seminar, RPN announced that Rural LISC would be an official partner of RPN in four states. Executive Director Lee Jones and team member Christine Sorensen spoke about Rural Partners Network and engaged in conversation about today’s rural communities. Rural LISC also presented Executive Director Jones with the Rural Innovation award.
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Rural Connections Blog
Catch up with the Rural Connections Blog from this month.
Introducing the Fulton County and South Fulton, Tennessee Community Network
By RPN Team
Fulton County is in the mid-south and known for its southern sweet tea culture. Visitors always say, “Man, you guys are just so friendly.” The people here have a strong sense of community and value the quality of life which boasts an abundance of scenic beauty, outdoor activities, good public education, and a low crime rate and cost of living. Read the full Fulton County blog post to learn more.
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Department of Veterans Affairs to Celebrate Black History Month with a Virtual Minority Veteran Outreach Symposium
Submitted by Department of Veterans Affairs
Minority Veterans, service members, family members, caregivers, and survivors are invited to celebrate African American service in military, as well as Veteran contributions to our nation with the Veteran’s Administration on February 9, 2023. Read the full VA blog post.
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Finding What Works for Rural Schools: Lessons from the National Center for Rural Education Research Networks (NCRERN)
By Hayley Didriksen, NCRERN Senior Research and Partnerships Manager, and Jennifer Ash, NCRERN Director
In the wake of the pandemic, students need help, both academically and emotionally, to recover from the disruption and to be set up for success in the future. While the need for support is clear, what to do is not always so obvious. Federal education policy often directs schools to use evidence-based practices to support student success. The dilemma for rural schools is that most education research is conducted in urban and suburban districts, which may not translate to rural contexts. Read the full Rural Connections blog post to learn more.
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Join the People's Garden Community!
by Margaret Campbell, Senior Advisor, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Gardens bring communities together, whether they are urban, suburban, or rural. USDA’s People’s Garden movement is growing, and we’d like your garden to be a part of it. So far, more than 500 gardens have signed up to be designated as People’s Gardens, from nearly every state in the U.S. and some communities abroad. Read the full People's Garden blog post.
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Meet New Members of the RPN Team!
Meet USDA staff hired to work full time with RPN Community Networks to advance local projects.
Mónica Rodriguez, Supervisory RPN Community Liaison, Puerto Rico
Mónica Rodríguez Rivera is Puerto Rico’s RPN Supervisory Community Liaison. She has more than 14 years of urban, transportation and recovery planning experience. She began in 2008 working at the Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority as a planning technician where she mainly worked in the administration of the Metropolitan, Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Planning Program funds from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Part of her responsibilities included conducting public involvement meetings, facilitating outreach and interfacing with executive and technical committees integrated by local government officials and agencies, and providing guidance, overseeing compliance, and technically assisting Puerto Rico municipalities.
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Kayleigh Kyle, Supervisory RPN Community Liaison, West Virginia
Kayleigh Kyle is West Virginia's Supervisory Community Liaison at USDA Rural Development where she leads the Rural Partners Network initiative in the Mountain State. In this role, she provides coaching and technical assistance to West Virginia's most rural communities, advocates for their equality and advises the State Director of community development initiatives throughout the state. Prior to her work at USDA, she led the Fairmont Community Development Partnership through the COVID-19 pandemic where she and her team secured $1.5 million in funding for Marion County, completed construction of four affordable housing single-family homes and assisted six new and emerging businesses open their doors in a two-year timeframe.
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What's New in Rural Development
USDA Expands Partnership to Create Thriving, Livable Communities That Will Attract People and Jobs to Rural Georgia
Georgia Rural Development State Director Reggie A. Taylor announced that the University of Georgia is using the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC) to expand its placemaking activities to rural counites, including the RPN community network of Ben Hill County. The expansion will help more leaders of rural communities create quality places where people will want to live, work, visit and learn. Read the full RPN news release.
USDA Rural Development (RD) Announces $2.7 Billion to Help Modernize Nation’s Rural Electric Grid
USDA Rural Development announced an investment of $2.7 billion to help 64 electric cooperatives and utilities expand and modernize the nation’s rural electric grid and increase grid security. This funding will benefit nearly 2 million rural people and businesses in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Read the full electric news release to learn more.
PROGRAMS & EVENTS
Visit RURAL.gov to find a more comprehensive list of programs to help your rural community.
USDA Rural Development - Rural Business Development Grants
Application deadline: February 28, 2023
This USDA grant to state and local government, nonprofits, Tribes and others supports economic development and job creation for people in rural America. Funds may be used to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Read more about Rural Business Development Grants.
U.S. Small Business Administration: Growth Accelerator Fund Competition
Application deadline: February 24, 2023
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Investment and Innovation is offering $50,000 to $200,000 in prize awards for impactful and inclusive approaches to foster a thriving, collaborative national innovation support ecosystem to advance research and development from ideas to impact, with an emphasis on rural communities. Learn more about the 2023 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition.
Path to Prosperity
The U.S. Small Business Administration with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and U.S. Department of Agriculture will be holding regional business development forums in Caguas, Puerto Rico, on March 13 and St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands (USVI) on March 17. The forums will be in person with a virtual option will consist of panel discussions with economic, lending and government contracting experts. Learn more about the business development forums.
2023 Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP)
Proposal deadline: March 14, 2023, at 5 p.m. CST
The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is making $6,000,000 in grant funds available for projects and initiatives that create a more vibrant economic future for the Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. The program supports efforts to:
- Recruit, train, and retain a diverse and local workforce,
- Align workforce and economic development strategies,
- Create sustainable talent pipelines,
- Establish or enhance locally/regionally significant sector-based partnerships, and
- Support enhanced workforce productivity through investments in innovative programming or services.
Awards will range between $50,000-$450,000. Proposals are due by March 14, 2023, at 5 p.m. CST. Learn more about the Delta Workforce Grant Program.
EDA Communities of Practice | U.S. Economic Development Administration
The U.S. Economic Development Administration is launching Communities of Practice to strengthen America’s economic development infrastructure by capturing, organizing, and scaling practices at a national level and Economic Recovery Corps. Learn more about the EDA Communities of Practice.
Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program
Applications packages must be submitted on or before April 10, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s EJCPS Cooperative Agreement Program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working on or planning to work on projects to address local environmental and/or public health issues in their communities. The program assists recipients in building collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders (e.g., local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, academia, etc.) to develop solutions that will significantly address environmental and/or public health issues at the local level. To apply for this opportunity, view the RFA on Grants.gov.
The Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) Program
Applicants interested must submit proposal packages on or before April 10, 2023
The EJG2G Program works to support and/or create model state activities that lead to measurable environmental or public health results in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms and risks. These models should leverage or utilize existing resources or assets of state agencies to develop key tools and processes that integrate environmental justice considerations into state governments and government programs. To apply for this opportunity, view the RFA on Grants.gov.
Under both EJCPS and EJG2G programs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be giving special consideration to the following focus areas:
- Projects addressing climate change, disaster resiliency, and/or emergency preparedness
- Projects located in and/or benefitting rural areas
- Projects conducting Health Impact Assessments (HIA). Learn more about Health Impact Assessments.
Programs for Tribes
U.S. Department of Justice | Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) Funding Opportunity
This program supports crime prevention activities, victim services, and coordinated community responses to violence against Native American individuals. Federally recognized Tribes may apply for grants. Read the full Department of Justice announcement.
Application deadlines:
- Grants.gov March 21, 2023, at 8:59 p.m. EST
- JustGrants.gov March 28, 2023, at 8:59 p.m. EST
Department of Energy Announces $22 million in Cash Prizes for Energy Efficient Building Upgrades
Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP) provides more than $22 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to support the transformation of existing U.S. buildings into more energy-efficient and clean energy-ready homes, commercial spaces, and communities. Buildings UP is an American-Made Challenge funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Upgrades may include transitioning to efficient electric equipment, including heat pumps and heat pump water heaters, and improving building efficiency through measures such as insulation and air sealing. Together, efforts will help reduce carbon emissions and energy costs while improving indoor air quality and occupant comfort. Read the full Department of Energy announcement.
HUD Publishes Proposed Rule on Certification of Tribal Housing Counselors
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Housing Counseling published a proposed rule in the Federal Register outlining housing counselor certification requirements for housing counseling conducted in connection with the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) and the Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) programs. HUD is encouraging public comments on the proposed rule through March 27, 2023, via the submission methods outlined in the Federal Register. HUD intends to conduct additional Tribal consultation before issuing a final rule in the future.
Learning
Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Funding for Wisconsin Counties & Tribes
February 6, 12-1 p.m. CST
This event is free to the public and the first of three webinars that will focus on broadband planning and funding opportunities in Wisconsin. It will specifically cover the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which aims to expand high-speed internet access and usage in the state, by providing an overview of state-wide broadband planning efforts and funding opportunities for local county and Tribal broadband planning. Register for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Funding for Wisconsin Counties & Tribes webinar.
Environmental Protection Agency/ U.S. Department of Agriculture/ U.S. Housing and Urban Development Host Webinar – Housing Solutions in Rural Recreation Communities
Wednesday February 15, 2023 - 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. CST
The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Community Revitalization, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) invite communities to join for a discussion to address housing in gateway communities.
Topics covered:
- Overview of USDA RD’s funding opportunities and Housing & Urban Development’s Federal programs to support housing projects.
- King City, California, will provide unique strategies that meet demands in the Central Coast wine region near Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
- Jackson Land Trust will outline the Public/Private Partnership with U. S. Forest Service National Park Service in Wyoming
The webinar will be recorded, and link provided to all registrants. Register for the Housing Solutions in Rural Recreation Communities webinar.
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Contact Us
Please visit RURAL.gov to learn more about the Rural Partners Network.
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