Introducing the Rural Youth Institute
Over the past six years, the Rural Futures Fund has been funding the Aspirations Incubator to effectively implement long-term mentoring and comprehensive youth development models in rural Maine communities to help raise postsecondary aspirations. Encouraged by the initial results from this final Aspirations Incubator evaluation report and positive feedback from Aspirations Incubator stakeholders across the state, the Rural Futures Fund board made the decision to launch the Rural Youth Institute in 2024. With the Aspirations Incubator pilot successfully concluded, the Rural Futures Fund will dissolve over the next few years, making way for the Rural Youth Institute to step in and do the work of expanding the Aspirations Incubator to more rural communities in Maine and beyond.
The Rural Youth Institute (RYI) is a proactive youth development incubator that empowers organizations and professionals to promote effective strategies for strengthening and enhancing the aspirations of rural youth. Current Aspirations Incubator sites will continue to receive training and network support through the RYI, as new opportunities for expansion of the Aspirations Incubator are emerging in other rural Maine communities. Alongside the expansion of the Aspirations Incubator model, the Rural Youth Institute will actively promote innovation within the youth development field by funding research, delivering comprehensive professional training, and engaging in strategic advocacy at both the state and federal levels, with the aim of bolstering youth-serving organizations throughout the state of Maine and beyond.
Learn more about the Rural Youth Institute here.