Ignite Rural Illinois
Ignite Rural Illinois' work will be based on the following principles
Rural decline, depopulation and decay are not inevitable
The more locally a problem is confronted, the more likely the solution will work.
Community development must be done both locally and regionally if the full benefits are to be achieved.
Its residents are a community's most valuable resource.
Community development cannot be achieved without local leaders, organization and structure.
Rural community development must start by developing people with all segments of the community invited to be full partners
Who will be invited to participate in Igniting Rural Illinois?
All stakeholders in a community or region will be invited to participate including, but not limited to, the following examples:
- Residents (must include youth, minorities, elderly and the differently abled)
- Educational institutions- includes public, private, and parochial schools
- Businesses - includes retailers, farmers, agri-business, financial institutions, utilities, manufacturers, healthcare institutions, service industry, transportation, etc.
- Professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc.
- Governmental entities on local, state and federal levels
Selecting Communities to Participate in Ignite Rural Illinois:
Communities with populations fewer than 5,000 will be selected for IRI. These communities will be located in a county designated by U.S. Census Bureau as a:
Rural area (population under 2,500, or an area with a population greater than 2,500, but with no nearby core city or town with a population of 10,000 or more)
Each community chosen will also exhibit four or more of the following characteristics:
- High unemployment
- Chronic unemployment (unemployed workers no longer counted in state and federal unemployment figures because their unemployment benefits have been depleted)
- Recent unemployment
- Never employed (including youth 18-24 and welfare-to-work adults)
- High poverty rate
- High poverty rate for children under 18
- High extreme poverty rate
- Low high school graduation rate
- High teen birth rate
- Few or no community institutions
- Crumbling infrastructure
- Few businesses or services
- High rate of drug usage
- Isolation
ICCS works very hard to impact and improve communities using various programs listed above. Please take a moment to see what we do, and how you can get involved!
< CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
Click below for more information regarding TeenREACH and Crisis Counseling Services.
< TeenREACH
< Crisis Counseling Services
