As our Community Conversations team learned on a recent trip to Southeastern Virginia, the pull between maintaining a rural, small town feel and embracing the potential benefits of urbanization hangs in the balance.

Matt Martin and Erika Bell share what they learned about workforce development from conversations with business and community leaders in Pickens County and Oconee County, South Carolina.

Proposal submissions are now open for the 2024 Investing in Rural America Conference poster session! Learn about the ways rural communities are addressing economic challenges in this virtual tour of posters from our 2023 conference.

The Richmond Fed Community Conversations team visited two South Carolina counties that are partnering with schools to prepare a skilled workforce.

The Richmond Fed Community Conversations team learned about the economic diversity in Virginia's Northern Neck during a recent visit.

The STEM East initiative aims to show students in eastern North Carolina how they can stay and thrive in their home communities.

A Community Conversations visit to two counties in rural western Virginia showcased inviting landscapes that offer opportunities for economic growth.

Bank leaders spent time with leaders in Anne Arundel County in mid-July and Caroline, Talbot and Dorchester counties in mid-August.

A unique partnership between Compass Point Preschool and Northeastern Technical College in Cheraw, South Carolina, makes affordable, high-quality child care accessible to parents entering the labor force.

The Richmond Fed's Community Conversations team discovered a similar focus on workforce development and affordable housing in two regions of South Carolina.

The Richmond Fed's Community Conversations team met with civic, manufacturing and agricultural leaders in Johnston County and Wilson, North Carolina recently.

President Tom Barkin shares how small towns in the Fifth District are putting their best foot forward to attract talent.

Kelly Bowers, economic development director for Hertford County, N.C., discusses the challenges and opportunities facing her community. She highlights the importance of collaboration across state lines and the need for infrastructure such as broadband and affordable housing to support growth.

Host Tim Sablik discusses his recent research on the value of entrepreneurs in the economic growth of rural places and small towns, as well as the obstacles that they face compared to more urban communities. Sablik also talks with Erika Bell and Laura Ullrich about what they have learned from their contacts in North Carolina and South Carolina about rural entrepreneurship.

Intermediary organizations, including anchor institutions, rural development hubs, and collective impact backbone organizations, play an important role in rural capacity building.

Tressa Gardner provides an overview of the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT), the business incubator and other programs that it operates, and its role in supporting economic development in northeastern South Carolina.

The GoodCare Program in Virginia helps aspiring workers complete career pathways in health care, addressing workforce shortages in a sector essential to equitable pandemic recovery.

Mary Ann Gilmer of Goodwill Industries of the Valleys discusses the nonprofit's training program for healthcare workers and the importance of this work in rural communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Florence County, the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing Technology and its Gould Business Incubator are fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem and fueling small business development in South Carolina.

The Danville region in Virginia has moved the needle on early childhood education and now has an ecosystem in place to help address future challenges.

Angela Wells discussed how Smart Beginnings Danville Pittsylvania prepares children in Southside Virginia for success in school and in life.

President Tom Barkin shares innovative strategies and success stories from small towns around the Fifth District.

Focusing on a complete household's needs, Garrett County Community Action Committee's integrated "2Gen approach" links children to high-quality early education and their parents to services that build financial security.

Duane Yoder, executive director of the Garrett County Community Action Committee, discusses how his organization adopted a holistic model for addressing poverty in rural communities.

Vance-Granville Community College's early college high schools and workforce programs are improving education and job opportunities for area residents.