Honoring the rich history of rural western Illinois, and examining the problems we currently face
"As technology becomes more of a norm, people don't really sit down and have conversations like, 'What was your childhood like? What was growing up during this event like?'" In This Episode In this episode of The Forgottonia Project, host Joe Brewer sits down with Amber Cannon, a 2026 graduate at Cuba High School and …
Continue reading "Youth Civic Pitch Showcase: How Amber Cannon is Preserving Local Oral History"
“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 …
"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"
The Forgottonia Project 