Helping Nebraska's Rural Communities Thrive
Join the Rural Prosperity Team
Rural Prosperity Nebraska is hiring a director and program leader. Learn more about these positions and apply.
View the Job listings
About Us
From the family-owned bakery on Main St., to the local farmers market, to the sprawling cattle ranch, rural communities make Nebraska thrive. At Rural Prosperity Nebraska, students, faculty and community leaders harness boots-on-the-ground efforts to bring that prosperity to your front door. Through six areas of focus, we roll up our sleeves, get our hands dirty, and work together with you to live better in Nebraska.
Community Engagement
We connect you to resources to engage community members, refine dreams into goals, and give everyone an equal opportunity to succeed.
Contact: Rex Nelson rex.nelson@unl.edu
People Attraction
We help strengthen your community’s welcoming culture to better recruit and retain newcomers, as people are what make a community thrive.
Contact: Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel cburkhartkriesel1@unl.edu
Community Development Leadership
We help your community leaders identify your local assets and support them in leveraging those assets for community betterment.
Contact: Kurt Mantonya kmantonya3@unl.edu
Community Economic Development
We tailor our work to your community aspirations, helping your businesses thrive to create long-term growth and improvement.
Contact: Marilyn Schlake mschlake1@unl.edu
Placemaking
We involve your community in creating quality places where people want to live, work, play, shop, learn and visit.
Contact: Kim Wilson kwilson4@unl.edu
Regional Food Systems
We assist communities on becoming acquainted with and building better food systems for you and your neighbors.
Contact: Vanessa Wielenga vwielenga2@unl.edu
Rural Tools to Use
Rural Prosperity Nebraska brings to you tools you can use to inform citizens, plan projects and secure community grants to activate your local community or region. We collaborate with faculty members from across the University of Nebraska system to enhance rural scholarship and create service-learning opportunities for students interested in rural issues. In partnerships, we are building an entrepreneurial support system for rural and urban alike and opening doors for value-added ag producers seeking markets. You are to explore and use the tools to benefit you and your community.
Thriving Index
Use this interactive comparison tool for analyzing regional trends in rural Nebraska.
