Honoring the rich history of rural western Illinois, and examining the problems we currently face
“When we asked the community, they didn’t care if their kids went to Harvard. They cared about the kind of people they were.” -Cory Steiner In This Episode As rural schools prepare to welcome students back this fall, many educators and communities are reflecting on what’s working—and what needs to change. In this episode, we …
Continue reading "Designing a Better Rural School with Dr. Cory Steiner"
"For rural children, work was at the top of the triangle, followed by school, and only then came play... Play wasn’t a luxury—it was a survival skill. Children turned goats, chickens, and old carts into their playground." -Pamela Riney-Kehrberg On This Episode Historian Dr. Pamela Riney-Kehrberg joins us to discuss her book Childhood on the …
"Oftentimes rural places are cast from a deficit perspective, they're portrayed as places where people leave. That can be pretty harmful for students that are growing up in these places. Local history has a real power to draw students in, to help them feel civically engaged and empowered." -Rory Dunn On This Episode Joey Brewer …
"Rural towns may be losing population, but there’s a beauty of history there. If you take the time to look, there are hidden gems everywhere." Bob Chikos On this episode Host Joey Brewer visits with Bob Chikos—an educator, map enthusiast, and Teach Plus alum—who recently completed a remarkable personal quest: visiting all 102 counties in …
Continue reading "Every County in Illinois: One Teacher’s Journey Across the Prairie State"
"Play activates neural pathways—it helps children develop emotionally, socially, physically, and cognitively. It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity." Lisa Hood, Director of Research & Evaluation at Regional Office of Education #17 On this episode Host Joey Brewer chats with Lisa Hood and Paul Larson to explore the impact of play-based learning. The conversation touches …
“Forgottonia’s story reminds us that small towns hold big ideas. When we trust students to lead, create, and connect, we don't just prepare them for the real world — we invite them to change it.” On This Episode What happens when students stop completing assignments for a grade and start creating work for the world? …
Continue reading "Classroom Sandboxing in Rural Forgottonia"
"Dialogue isn’t about changing opinions; it’s about understanding each other.” Jared Morris, Education Specialist & Instructional Coach, Office of the Undersecretary for Education, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. On This Episode We're excited to share a conversation led by two Beardstown High School freshmen, Vraj and Genesis, as they interview Jared Moris and Ali McKersie, the …
"Rural schools may lack big-city resources, but they have something just as powerful—strong community ties, flexibility to innovate, and educators who wear many hats to make learning meaningful." On This Episode We sit down with John Glasgow, Program Director of the Rural CTE Project (in partnership with The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools …
"Our job is to find out what the needs and barriers are around early childhood care and education… and help align goals so we’re all working on the same thing." Shannon McKee, Family & Community Engagement Specialist, Birth to Five Illinois: Region 26 On This Episode We had the privilege of speaking with Paul Larson, …
"How we define rural is very personal and why we care about it is often for very personal reasons too." On This Episode We sit down with Dr. Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, a historian whose work brings the complex and often misunderstood story of rural America to life. Dr. Riney-Kehrberg helps us unpack two chapters from the …
Continue reading "Exploring Rural Identity and History with Dr. Pamela Riney-Kehrberg"
The Forgottonia Project 