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Season 3, Episode 3 – What a Small Town Yoga Studio is Doing to Improve Well-Being in Forgottonia – Interview with Lyndsey Larson, Manager of The Breathing Tree

On this edition of the Forgottonia podcast we’re sharing a conversation about mental health in rural America with our friend Lyndsey Larson, the manager of a local yoga studio in Canton, IL called “The Breathing Tree.” Lyndsey is also a native and recent returnee to Canton, IL where she lives with her husband and their surprise triplets!

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S3 – Blog 01: Sociology and Self Care

by WIU Sociology Instructor and Guest Contributor Allyssa (Hall) Anderson The definition of self- care is “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health” (Oxford languages).  We’ve probably all heard this term enough over 2020.  As an Instructor of Sociology, my Sociological Imagination influences everything I see, read, and hear.  It …

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S2 – Episode 07: What the Salvation Army is Doing to Help the Most Vulnerable Rural Americans

According to a study at Columbia University funded by the National Institute of Health,  4.5% of all deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to poverty (Link to research). And this was before the covid-19 outbreak! What is the cause of poverty? What does poverty look like in rural, western Illinois? What can we do to combat poverty? To help respond to these questions, we turned to Lt. Sarah B. Eddy of the Canton, IL Salvation Army. 

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S2 – Episode 06: The Rural Youth Assembly Summit with Kaylann Beekman

Cuba High School senior Kaylann Beekman was recently selected to represent Illinois at the Rural Youth Assembly Summit in McAllen, Texas (*Note: The Summit was originally scheduled for April 2-5, but will be postponed for a later date).  She is one of just 50 young adults, ages 16-24, selected across the nation to serve as a delegate.  The Summit brings young people together to explore unique challenges facing rural youth, and identify creative solutions to address them. 

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S2 – Episode 05: Roads, Higher Ed, & Racism – Students ask the IIRA

On this episode, Chris Merrett from the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs responds to questions formed from students at Cuba High School in Cuba, IL.  These questions reflect  a range of challenges facing small towns, not only in Cuba, but throughout Forgottonia. The essential questions our students asked Chris include the following:

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S2 – Blog 07: What are the Challenges to Running a Successful Business in Rural America? Takeaways from Our Interview with Chris Merrett, Director of the IL Institute for Rural Affairs

What are the challenges to running a successful business in rural America?  There's  a thousand different ways you can answer this question, and the answer really depends on the community you live in.  But when it comes to who you should ask, I don't think there is any one better than Chris Merrett, the Director of the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs.