The Rural Education National Forum is designed to inspire individual potential and possibilities from powerful rural schools and education leaders that are linked to prosperous rural communities.
On October 27-28, Battelle for Kids and the Ohio Department of Education co-hosted the 2014 Rural Education National Forum in Columbus, Ohio. Nearly 400 rural education leaders from 20 states came together to discuss current challenges and opportunities in rural communities nationwide. Several keynote speakers including Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education and Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys: A Memoir shared inspiring examples of rural collaboration, revitalization, and innovation. This event was created to bring rural leaders together in efforts to help reshape the rural economy, remake the quality of place, own the future of learning, and prepare rural communities to be successful in a highly competitive, complex, and ever-changing world.