Rural Project Examples Addressing Children and youth

Updated/reviewed December 2019

Need: To educate youth about obesity and healthy lifestyle choices.
Intervention: An educational program about healthy living was implemented in Lincoln and Claiborne Parishes in Louisiana for youth ages 9-18.
Results: Youth4Health program produced greater awareness and participation in healthier lifestyles by target youth and their families, as well as church congregations.

Updated/reviewed April 2026

Need: Drowning was a leading cause of death for children in Alaska.
Intervention: Cold Water Safety and Survival for Educators workshops were developed in 1998, with help from a 4-year federal grant, to train educators to provide education and hands-on skills for school children and members of the public.
Results: The safety program was integrated into about 79% of Alaskan school curriculum and schools in other states, helping to train hundreds of educators and thousands of children on the importance of cold water safety.

Updated/reviewed March 2026

Need: More emergency medical service professionals in rural northwestern Wisconsin.
Intervention: In 2015, a collaborative effort of a State Office of Rural Health and a regional non-profit job training agency created a pipeline program offering 6-8th grade girls participation in a summer camp that provided an experiential setting demonstrating emergency medical services career opportunities.
Results: With a 10-year record of success and community support, in 2026, the program continues into its next decade with 20 participants per year.

Updated/reviewed December 2025

Need: Impact healthcare workforce shortages in rural Wisconsin.
Intervention: The Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, leveraging evidence-informed grow-your-own pipeline activities to generate interest in health-related professions, partnered with the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health to create the Club Scrub program for 7th and 8th graders.
Results: The original 2006-2007 program results revealed that participants gained a better understanding of career options in the healthcare industry and annual Club Scrub events continue to be sponsored by several Wisconsin rural healthcare delivery systems.

Updated/reviewed September 2025

Need: An increased interest among young people to pursue a medical career in rural North Carolina
Intervention: Two medical students started a program that gives high school seniors medical academic training, mentor relationships, and hands-on experience in rural North Carolina facilities.
Results: Project PROMISE has 40 high school completers, 19 of whom are pursuing an undergraduate degree with an interest in studying medicine. Two students are currently in medical school, with plans to work in a rural area once finished.

Updated/reviewed September 2025

Need: To improve health outcomes in rural Appalachian Ohio.
Intervention: Schools as a Hub for Health promoted holistic wellness for the whole community by creating or bringing in programs that support physical, mental, and social health.
Results: The project gained administrator buy-in and facilitated the development of a variety of health-focused school-based programs.

Updated/reviewed August 2025

Need: To provide healthcare for children and adults at-risk for genetic conditions from the rural, uninsured Amish and Mennonite communities in southern Pennsylvania.
Intervention: A clinic that serves as a comprehensive medical practice for children and adults (primarily from the Amish and Mennonite communities) with rare, inherited, or complex disorders.
Results: In 2024, about 1,700 active patients with more than 480 unique genetic mutations were treated at the Clinic for Special Children.

Updated/reviewed July 2025

Need: To bring needed child care to rural Mercer County, North Dakota.
Intervention: A nonprofit cooperative provides part-time and full-time child care.
Results: ECCCC currently has about 75 children enrolled, but it had 86 children at the height of its enrollment history.

Updated/reviewed July 2025

Need: To develop a child and family well-being system that provides rural Texas communities with flexibility, authority, and adaptability to improve services and outcomes for children and families.
Intervention: SJRC Texas's division Belong is the lead provider for Community-Based Care (CBC) for Region 8, which encompasses 28 counties. Services include foster and kinship care, case management, and reunification services for those involved in the foster care system.
Results: Since October 2021, SJRC Texas | Belong CBC has served more than 2,150 children and young adults, and 834 youth have achieved permanency through family reunification or kinship care.

Updated/reviewed June 2025

Need: To reduce youth suicide rates.
Intervention: First begun in Utah, Hope Squad is a nationwide program that trains youth to identify peers' signs of distress and connect them to help. Hope Squads educate the entire student body to increase connectedness and reduce stigma.
Results: Studies suggest that Hope Squad schools' students with suicidal thoughts are more likely than non-Hope Squad schools' students to solicit help. In addition, stigma surrounding mental illness is decreasing.

Rural Project Examples: Children and youth