IU Center for Rural Engagement

06/18/2026

Twenty-five IU Bloomington faculty members have been selected to take part in the second Rural Indiana Faculty Tour from August 11 to 13.

The tour will cover more than 250 miles across Brown, Daviess, Dubois and Orange counties. Along the way, faculty will meet with local leaders, visit community organizations, and learn about initiatives addressing issues ranging from housing and health to economic development and quality of life.

Twenty-five IU Bloomington faculty will join a three-day Rural Indiana Faculty Tour in August 2026 to connect with communities, learn local priorities, an...

06/17/2026

Can you guess where this is? Hint: This rural Indiana city is home to an architecturally remarkable county courthouse, said to have the world’s tallest single-piece stone columns.

06/16/2026

A partnership between Indiana Landmarks and the IU Center for Rural Engagement is helping preserve Black Hoosier history in rural communities.

Through the center’s Rural Scholars Program, IU College of Arts and Sciences student Olivia Novak helped collect oral histories and document historically significant Black sites as part of Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program.

The work is helping record stories, places, and memories that might otherwise go untold.

Read the story: https://news.iu.edu/rural/live/news/51280-iu-partnership-helps-preserve-black-hoosier

Knox County Public Library Indiana

06/15/2026

IU students recently visited rural Indiana communities as part of the 2026 Rural Placemaking Studio.

During the site visits, IU Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design students met with local partners, toured project locations, and gathered ideas for community-identified projects ranging from public art and signage to trail enhancements, plazas, and gathering spaces.

Learn more about the 2026 Rural Placemaking Studio partnerships at go.iu.edu/v96Rpp.

06/10/2026

Recordings from the 2026 IU Rural Conference are now available online!

Watch opening remarks, keynote presentations, lunch conversations, and the IU Center for Rural Engagement awards ceremony from this year’s conference.

Sessions explored community-engaged learning, rural social infrastructure, student mental health, resilience, and the partnerships strengthening rural Indiana.

View the playlist at go.iu.edu/tWIf9A.

06/05/2026

For many Hoosier students, a field trip to the Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University is their first opportunity to experience a museum up close. By creating fun, welcoming experiences for learners from across the state—including many from rural communities—the museum is inspiring the next generation of lifelong museumgoers.

For many Hoosier K-12 students, a visit to the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at IU Bloomington is their first experience coming face-to-face with...

06/02/2026

Graduate students from the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington shared their ADA-accessible pathway designs for the Orange County Community Gardens with community partners during a presentation at Lost River Co-op & Cafe in Paoli.

Through a Sustaining Hoosier Communities (SHC) partnership, students collaborated with community leaders to explore ways to improve accessibility and increase participation in the garden for visitors of all abilities.

The collaboration was recently honored by the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (IUB), with Dr. Becca Lassell and community partner Brandon Query receiving the 2026 Community-Engaged Learning Partnership Award and Ph.D. student Pezhman Raeisian Parvari receiving the 2025–26 Excellence in Community-Engaged Learning Student Award.

Learn more about SHC at shc.indiana.edu.

IU Department of Health & Wellness Design

06/01/2026

IU students are helping Indiana communities address rising utility costs.

The Indiana Energy Playbook, created by students in the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, is designed to help communities reduce energy costs, improve public facilities, and support residents and businesses facing rising utility expenses. It's been distributed to Indiana cities and towns with populations above 1,000.

Learn more and download the playbook:

05/27/2026

Can you guess where this is? Hint: This rural Indiana town is famous for its spring festival celebrating the flowering trees that line its streets, parks, and neighborhoods each year.

05/26/2026

The McKinney Family Foundation has launched the Robert H. McKinney Legacy Prize, a new $250,000 award that recognizes partnerships in rural Indiana that are working together to strengthen their communities.

Priority will be given to applicant partnerships and projects that bring together nonprofits, farmers, businesses, healthcare providers, educators, and community leaders to create lasting impact and improve quality of life across their region.

Applications are open through July 31.

Learn more and apply:

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