Rural Youth Institute
A youth development incubator empowering organizations and professionals by promoting effective strategies to strengthen and enhance the aspirations of rural youth.
Our Vision
All rural youth have access to the relationships, resources, and support systems that cultivate optimism, hope, and confidence, ensuring they graduate high school with purpose, a clear plan for their future, and a deep sense of belonging—grounded in reciprocal trust, supported by caring adults, and always connected to the communities that have shaped them and welcome them home.
Our Mission
The Rural Youth Institute is dedicated to enhancing rural youth development by strengthening the leadership and capacity of professionals working with young people.
By bridging research and practice, the Rural Youth Institute seeks to innovate youth development by offering immersive learning labs, transformative research, comprehensive training and strategic advocacy to strengthen youth-serving organizations. By employing evidence-based strategies, the Rural Youth Institute aims to foster innovation in the youth development field to elevate the aspirations of rural youth.
THE LATEST FROM RYI:
RYI Statement on the Meta Settlement
The Rural Youth Institute welcomes the Meta settlement as an important step toward accountability for the impact social media platforms have had on young people. But accountability is only the beginning.
If we are serious about helping young people thrive, we must look beyond making technology safer and invest in what young people need most: real relationships, meaningful connection, belonging, and opportunities to discover who they are and who they can become.
At RYI, we see the power of these investments every day through the Aspirations Incubator. Across rural Maine, trusted adults show up for young people over time. Youth build relationships with mentors and peers, engage with their communities, explore their aspirations, and develop the confidence and sense of belonging they need to navigate their futures.
Young people don't need digital substitutes for connection. They need more opportunities for real connection.
We believe the resources generated through this settlement should be used to strengthen the social infrastructure that makes that connection possible, including mentoring, afterschool and summer programs, experiential learning, youth development, and other community-based supports.
We have an opportunity to do more than reduce the harms of social media. We can invest in the relationships and communities that help young people thrive.
Let's use these resources to fund real life.
Strategic Synergy: Uniting Four Fields of Expertise
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Immersive Learning Labs
Advancing Rural Youth Development Through Immersive Experiences
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Transformative Research
Conducting Research and Evaluation
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Comprehensive Training
Promoting Program Effectiveness and Quality
Supporting Organizational Development
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Strategic Advocacy
Driving Policy Change and Transforming Systems
This 4-part strategy overlaps to create cohesive interconnected feedback loops that strengthen each approach over time.
They encourage experimentation and innovation – informing professional development and training and driving policies and practices – while providing real-world feedback on their success and impact in rural communities.
As a result, this iterative process of refining and improving each of the four strategies simultaneously enhances each strategy’s individual effectiveness while contributing to the positive impact of the Rural Youth Institute over time.
