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Key people at Resource Assistance for Rural Environments.
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) strengthens rural communities by providing essential capacity and expertise. It embeds AmeriCorps members within local governments and organizations, assisting with project planning and implementation. This approach builds sustainable capabilities in economic, social, and environmental development, fostering self-reliance for underserved areas.
Established in 1994 by the University of Oregon and AmeriCorps, RARE originated from recognizing rural communities' need for dedicated local development resources. The program bridges this gap, offering structured service-learning opportunities that deliver crucial support and catalyze community improvements. This initiative reflects a commitment to empowering regional autonomy.
RARE serves rural communities throughout Oregon, including local governments and non-profit organizations seeking enhancement. Its mission increases community resilience and self-sufficiency by equipping local leaders with tools and knowledge for sustainable growth. It envisions vibrant, adaptable rural areas capable of addressing evolving challenges effectively.
Key people at Resource Assistance for Rural Environments.
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) is a University of Oregon program, housed under the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement (IPRE), that deploys trained graduate-level AmeriCorps members to rural Oregon communities for 11-month service terms. Its mission is to build capacity in these areas by addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges through hands-on projects like disaster preparedness, food security, tourism development, and economic recovery.[1][2][3][4] RARE serves resource-dependent rural towns facing staffing shortages and economic pressures, solving problems such as limited local expertise for initiatives in agriculture, wildfire recovery, and community planning; it has supported efforts like rebuilding after the Holiday Farm Fire and launching local food brands.[1][2][6] While facing funding uncertainty—its 2024-25 AmeriCorps grant was reinstated in June 2025 but paused for the next year—the program maintains momentum through alumni impact and exploration of future models.[1]
RARE originated at the University of Oregon as a federally funded AmeriCorps initiative focused on Oregon's rural, resource-dependent communities, evolving from IPRE's broader economic development work.[1][4][6] Key milestones include expansion via a 2021 EDA CARES Act grant and Ford Family Foundation support, which grew the program during the COVID-19 pandemic to embed fellows in Economic Development Districts (EDDs) for needs assessments, business funding, and food system innovations.[6] Participants like Emily Embleton (Willamette University BA’23) exemplify early traction: inspired by rural Coos Bay during the pandemic, she advanced disaster prep in Florence and food security in Ashland via Rogue Food Unites, continuing post-term.[2] The program has trained generations of young professionals, with fellows like Erica Mooney noting reputational impact from dedicated presence in areas like Illinois Valley.[1]
RARE rides the trend of rural revitalization amid climate and economic shifts, timing perfectly with post-pandemic recovery, wildfire rebuilding (e.g., 2020 Holiday Farm Fire), and food sovereignty needs in Oregon's resource economies.[1][2][6] Market forces like federal AmeriCorps/EDA grants, staffing shortages in small towns, and demand for sustainable ag/tourism favor it, as rural areas integrate "tech-adjacent" tools like recovery planning software (e.g., IPRE's Community ROCKit).[6] It influences the ecosystem by training next-gen leaders in applied policy—funneling talent into rural innovation, local gov, and nonprofits—while bridging academia (UO) to grassroots, countering urban tech bias.[2][4][6]
RARE's near-term path involves navigating 2025-26 funding pauses by piloting hybrid models, potentially leaning on private foundations like Ford or state partnerships to sustain placements.[1] Rising trends—climate resilience, local food tech, and remote work enabling rural retention—will propel it, especially as AI/data tools amplify economic assessments. Its influence could evolve into a scalable national template, humanizing rural tech adoption and amplifying underserved voices, reinforcing its core mission of capacity-building from within.[1][6]
