Rural Sociology Commons^™

Outdoor Pursuits And Outdoor Learning At Rural Maine Schools: A Positive Outlier Approach, Lauren E. Jacobs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the barriers and facilitators to outdoor learning and outdoor pursuits (OPs) in some of the most rural isolated K-12 schools in Maine. The purpose was to understand why some of these schools incorporate a lot of OPs and outdoor learning into their curriculum while other schools do not. Outdoor pursuits and outdoor learning in school settings are worthy of study because they provide students with opportunities to increase physical activity, benefit from time in nature, and make important connections to local culture (Lim et al., 2017; Schafft, 2016; Trembley et al., 2015).

This study employed a comparative …

Bandon High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 9–12 at Bandon High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in January 2019. Participation was voluntary. Bandon High School had 215 students during 2018–2019, 160 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 74%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Sedomocha Middle School (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 6–8 in SeDoMoCha Middle School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. SeDoMoCha Middle School had 242 students during 2018-2019, 199 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 82%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question; middle schoolers had fewer questions to answer. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Coos County (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from school principals, students at 7 schools in Coos County were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey between January and May in 2019. Participation was voluntary. The schools had a combined 2,902 students enrolled during 2018–2019, 1,332 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 46%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Marshfield High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 8–12 in Marshfield High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in April 2019. Participation was voluntary. Marshfield High School had 1,000 students during 2018-2019, 400 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 40%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Coquille Jr./Sr. High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 7–12 at Coquille Jr./Sr. High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. Coquille Jr./Sr. High School had 350 students during 2018–2019, 311 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 89%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Winter Lakes High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 7–12 at Winter Lakes High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in March 2019. Participation was voluntary. Winter Lakes High School had 300 students during 2018–2019, 68 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 23%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Forest Hills Consolidated School (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 6–12 at Forest Hills Consolidated School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in May 2019. Participation was voluntary. Forest Hills Consolidated School had 68 students in these grades during 2018-2019, 62 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 91%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Myrtle Point Jr./Sr. High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 7–12 at Myrtle Point Jr./Sr. High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in March 2019. Participation was voluntary. Myrtle Point Jr./Sr. High School had 215 students during 2018– 2019, 106 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 49%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Penquis Valley School (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 6–12 at Penquis Valley School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. Penquis Valley School had 130 students in these grades during 2018-2019, 103 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 79%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Piscataquis & N. Somerset Counties (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from school principals, students at 5 schools in Piscataquis and N. Somerset Counties in Maine were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey between February and May, 2019. Participation was voluntary. The schools had a combined 666 students enrolled during 2018–2019, 578 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 87%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Piscataquis Community High School (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 9–12 at Piscataquis Community High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. Piscataquis Community High School had 120 students during 2018–2019, 120 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 100%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Powers Jr./Sr. High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 7–12 at Powers Jr./Sr. High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. Powers Jr./Sr. High School had 50 students during 2018–2019, 27 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 54%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

North Bend High School (Or), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 7–12 at North Bend High School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in May 2019. Participation was voluntary. North Bend High School had 772 students during 2018–2019, 260 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 34%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Greenville Consolidated School (Me), Mindy Crandall, Jessica Leahy, Nicole Bernsen, Jesse Abrams, Autumn Ellison, Alexa Carleton, Liz Capodilupo

Rural Youth Futures

With permission from the school principal, students in grades 6–12 at Greenville Consolidated School were given a link to an anonymous, electronic survey in February 2019. Participation was voluntary. Greenville Consolidated School had 106 students in these grades during 2018-2019, 94 of which took the survey for a participation rate of 88%. Every question was optional, so the number of responses varies by question. Fact sheets for all schools and each county are available online at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/rural_youth_futures/

Terms Of Erasure: The Jewish Experience In A Rural New England Town, Jessica Sweeney

Honors College

Throughout history, Jewish Americans have been and continue to be persecuted for their religion and ethnic identity. Additionally, anti-Semitism has been a rising problem in recent years. This research seeks to understand how this national issue affects individuals in a rural community in New England. More broadly, this thesis attempts to understand how Jews in a rural community in New England experience anti-Semitism. To conduct this research, a series of interviews were collected in the region and were subsequently analyzed using a modified version of Grounded Theory. The purpose of this research is to understand the Jewish experience in a …

Challenges To Economic Resiliency And Performance: Measuring The Regional Impacts Of Rurality And Space, Elena S. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is commonly observed that there are inequalities found in economic growth, development, and performance between different regions. Because of this, it is vital for regional planners to have knowledge to which economic problems are present (Armstrong and Taylor, 2000; Martin, 2005). With such knowledge, planners are able to tailor and implement regional policies in an informed manner that is better suited to address economic problems. Found in this work are two studies that contextualize separate economic problems which have been extensively discussed within regional sciences and rural studies.

The first study seeks to assess how a county’s degree of …

Grassroots Diplomacy And Vernacular Law: The Discourse Of Food Sovereignty In Maine, John Welton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the discourse of food sovereignty in Maine, a coalition of small-scale farmers, consumers, and citizens building an alternative food system based on a distributed form of production, processing, selling, purchasing, and consumption. This distribution occurs at the municipal level through the enactment of ordinances. Using critical-rhetorical field methods, I argue that the discourse of food sovereignty in Maine develops a ‘constitutive’ rhetoric that composes rural society through affective relationships. Advocates engage the industrial food system to both expose its systemic bias against small-scale farming and construct their own discourse of belonging. Based upon agrarian values such as …

Social Ecological Food Systems: Sustainability Lessons From Maine Dairy Networks, Julia B. Mcguire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Milk production has played an integral role in the culture, landscape, and economy of Maine’s agriculture. Maine dairy farmers have faced numerous sustainability challenges to economic, environmental, and social aspects of their industry. Like many other complex social ecological systems, the Maine dairy industry faces a gap between scientific knowledge and actionable management or policy. A cultural dichotomy exists between conventional and organic farming. Shifting the focus from this binary, metrics such as social capital may play a key role in solving sustainability issues. Difficulties arise in the governance of complex social ecological systems when the scales of assessment, management, …

Piscataquis Thriving In Place Collaborative Year 1 Evaluation Report, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Maine Center on Aging Education and Training

The Piscataquis Thriving in Place Collaboration's mission is to improve regional services and supports that help adults with chronic health conditions remain in their homes avoid unnecessary hospitalization. The following report presents evaluation results from Year 1 of the Piscataquis Thriving in Place Collaborative gained through survey work and Ripple Effects Mapping. sessions conducted with project workgroups. Project outcomes during the first year were diverse, but can be roughly categorized into the areas of increased knowledge of community needs among collaborative members, increased knowledge of available resources to support thriving in place, and expansion of services and supports in response …

A Smiling Face Is Half The Meal: The Role Of Cooperation In Sustaining Maine’S Local Food Industry, Ethan Tremblay, Timothy Waring

Maine Policy Review

The U.S. is experiencing a renaissance in local food production, and Maine is among the states leading that resurgence. This renaissance is influenced by many factors, and has both economic and social dimensions. This article examines the role of cooperation in the local food industry across a range of local food organizations. The authors conclude that cooperation plays different yet crucial roles in all local food organizations, and is an important part of the success of the local food industry as whole. The article considers the policy implications of these findings, and suggests that while the prevalence of cooperation is …

Ripples From The East Coast Stream: Contributions From Migrant Hispanic Workers To Maine’S Wild Blueberry Industry, Vaishali Mamgain

Maine Policy Review

Interviews with 46 Hispanic migrant workers in the wild blueberry industry in Maine revealed they harvest different crops in several states and come to Maine at the end of the “East Coast Stream.” Although workers varied in productivity (and hence income), overall the group earned good income and contributed significantly to the Maine economy as workers and consumers. Based on these findings, governmental laws and policies are discussed in terms of their potential impact. A consideration of Maine’s aging population and interviews with employers demonstrate these workers’ importance: without them employers say, the wild blueberry industry would not be competitive.

New Hope For Women Newsletter (Fall 2011), New Hope For Women Staff

Maine Women's Publications - All

No abstract provided.

New Hope For Women Newsletter (Spring 2011), New Hope For Women Staff

Maine Women's Publications - All

No abstract provided.

It’S Growing Season For Maine’S Food System, Deborah Felder

Maine Policy Review

In the introduction to this special issue, guest editor Deb Felder lays out the elements of a sustainable food system. She notes that the increased interest in more ecologically sustainable, safe, humane, and economical community-supported food systems has “put Maine in the forefront of the food movement.”

New Hope For Women Newsletter (Fall 2010), New Hope For Women Staff

Maine Women's Publications - All

No abstract provided.

Developing Rural Relatives As Parents Programming: Promising Practices A Collection Of Practice Wisdom From Across Rural America, Lenard W. Kaye, Jennifer Crittenden, Melisa Adle

Maine Center on Aging Education and Training

This manual is designed to provide both new and established Relatives as Parents Programs (RAPPs) with ideas on how to best serve rural grandfamilies. Much of the information contained in this manual is the result of a year-long research effort conducted by the University of Maine Center on Aging with funding from the Brookdale Foundation. Details on the sources of information tapped for this manual are outlined below. An online survey was administered to practitioners and professionals currently working with relative caregivers to learn more about the practical strategies and approaches used in developing and carrying out RAPP programming in …

Safe Medicine Disposal For Me A Handbook And Summary Report, Lenard W. Kaye, Jennifer Crittenden, Stevan Gressitt

Maine Center on Aging Service and Consultation

The Safe Medicine Disposal for ME (SMDME) program is a statewide model for the disposal of unused household medications using a mail-back return envelope system. Established through state legislation and implemented in 2007 with a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Program’s Aging Initiative, the program is authorized to handle both controlled and non-controlled medications This handbook describes the program components, as well as the outcomes and lessons learned from Phases I & II of the program. The handbook is designed as a guide to organizations that are implementing similar programs in other states. Maine, which has a combination of …

Prospects For A Rim County Population Rebound: Can Quality Of Place Lure In-Migrants?, David Vail

Maine Policy Review

David Vail asks whether population will rebound in Maine’s rural “rim” counties and whether investing to enhance “quality of place” can attract large numbers of rural settlers. Review of the evidence suggests that Maine’s rim counties are not experiencing a population rebound and that rural counties vary greatly in their ability to hold onto existing residents or attract new ones. Vail argues that quality-of-place investments should not be considered as a core development tool for rural areas, but that they can complement traditional rural economic policy measures. Since it is difficult to stimulate a major population movement to Maine’s rim …

New Hope For Women Newsletter (Fall 2009), New Hope For Women Staff

Maine Women's Publications - All

No abstract provided.