REFOR TRESUMES ED 020 027 RC 000 156 RURAL YOUTH IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT, REPORT OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE (OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, SEPTEMBER 22-25, 1963). BY- NASH, RUTH COWAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH PUB DATE 65 EDRS PRICE MF-$1.50 HC-$14.00 346F. DESCRIPTORS- *ATTITUDES, ASPIRATION, EDUCATION, *EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS, *SURVEYS, PUBLIC OPINION, *RURAL YOUTH, WORK ATTITUDES, *YOUTH EMPLOYMENT, ELMO ROPER ANC ASSOCIATES, MD TA, THIS CONFERENCE REPORT CONTAINS A SUMMARY OF THE SURVEY MADE BY ELMO ROPER AND ASSOCIATES, "A STUDY OF THE PROBLEMS/ ATTITUDES, AND ASPIRATIONS OF RURAL YOUTH," AS WELL AS THE MAJOR ADDRESSES FROM THE CONFERENCE. IT PROVIDES A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF DISCUSSIONS ON PRODLEMS OF RURAL YOUTH INVOLVING URBAN ADJUSTMENT, OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING AND PREPARATION, VOCATIONAL COUNSELING, IMPROVED EDUCATION, POST HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, SPECIAL EDUCATION, DROPOUTS, HEALTH, YOUTH SERVING AGENCIES, THE ROLES OF THE CHURCH AND FAMILY IN TOTAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH FOR TODAY'S WORLD, MIGRANT CHILDREN, MINORITY YOUTH, AND DELINOUENCY. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS ARE ALSO INCLUDED. AN APPENDIX OF FOLLOW-UP PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS CONCLUDES THE REPORT. A RELATED DOCUMENT IS RC 000 137. (CL) [1. OBJECTIVES OF THE CONFERENCE To bring into national focus the complex problems of young people who are displaced by the changing economy in rural areas; who drop out of school and join the swelling ranks of the untrained, unemployed, and insecure youth in both rural and urban communities; and who account for a sizeable proportion of the juvenile delinquency cases in both rural and urban areas. To define the nature and dimensions of the problem at the grass- roots levels in the rural areas; and bring together facts and statistics now available and some not now extant, regarding the rates of school dropouts, juvenile delinquency, unemployment, underemployment, and inadequacy of educational and training opportunities. To develop through the findings of the National Conference on Problems of Rural Youth in a Changing Environment new programs for the development of the potential or rural youth, the lack of which has deprived the Nation of the talents and abilities of thousands of young people. To encourage and stimulate state and local application of the Conference findings: by the publication and wide distribution of the background papers and the Conference report and by consistent followup and stimulation of coordinated and coopera- tive efforts by all disciplines, organizations and agencies con- cerned with rural youth to meet the needs identified by the Conference. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCEDEXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENTOFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. RURAL YOUTH in a Changing Environment REPORT of the NATIONALCONFERENCE sponsored by The NationalCommittee For Childrenand Youth at OklahomaState University Stillwater, Sept. 22-25,1963' 0-0S1 CHILDREN ANDYOUTH NATIONALCOMMITTEE FOR Washington, D. C., 20036 1145 19th Street,N. W. ALFRED M. POTTS, 2d Edited by RUTH COWAN NASH "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY-124244 Latei.,01 TO ERIC AND OR6AND IONS OPERATING UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE U.S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION. FURTHER REPRODUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM REQUIRES PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER." 0 Copyright 1965 by the National Committee for Children and Youth, Inc. Printed in the United States of America egekro 72 INTRODUCTION The National Committee for Children and Youthconvened the first National Conference on the Problems of RuralYouth in a Chang- ing Environment for the purpose of making aserious and searching analysis of a situation that demands attention and action.This Confer- ence was held at the OklahomaState University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, September 22-25, 1963, and it drew 520 participantsfrom 48 states, the Virgin Islands, and several foreign countries.Those who partici- pated in the Conference were invited because of theirclose association with rural youth and their involvement with programsand policies that affect the development and future of these young people. In May of 1961, the National Committee forChildren and Youth held the Conference on Unemployed, Out-of-SchoolYouth in Urban areas. (1)All through the months of preparation forthat Confer- ence and throughout theConference itself, we became increasingly aware that many of theproblems we were discussing had their roots in rural America. Even before we convenedthat Conference on urban youth, we knew we must turn the spotlight of concern onchildren and youth born and reared on the farms and in therural areas of our coun- try. Soon these problems willbe enlarged by growing, sprawling sub- urbia, which will produce youth not identifieddefinitely with either rural or urban areas. Youth in rural areas are the unwitting victims of avanishing way of life. The purpose of this Conference onProblems of Rural Youth in a Changing Environment was todetermine the best possible courses of action that can be taken to prepare youngpeople growing up in a rural environment to adjust and to compete in achanging society. We are dealing with problems close to the source of a contemporarysocial up- heavalthe intensified shift from an agrarian to anindustrial society. e 1961 conference onurban youth dealt with visible numbers of unemploye t-of-school youth concentrated in the bigcities. While the Conference OhProblems of RuralYouth faced a much less visible (1) Social Dynamite: The Report of theConference on Unemployed, Out-of-School Youth in Urban Areas, availablefrom the National Com- mittee for Children and Youth, 1145 - 19thStreet, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20036, $2.00 postpaid. ni Ir problem and a much less explosive onein terms of concentrationof numbers, the lack of visibility andconcentration made our work more difficult. We can no longer ignore the fact thatalthough rural America is changing, and migration to urban centersis increasing, we are not yet providing in the rural areas the kinds of programs,the guidance, coun- seling, education and training many ofthese rural young people will need. The city with its many attractions hayalways been a magnet for young people seekingtheir fortunes. But now that attractionis sending people of all ages, not just the young, tothe cities not just in response to what the city has to offerbut as a reaction to the lack ofopportuni- ties on the land. We must work to seethat the urban centers are geared to help and absorb the newarrivals, especially the young. With the state committees for childrenand youth, the national vol- untary organizations, and theFederal agencies, the National Committee for Children and Youth works to servein the best interests of the young generation. In convening this Conference,the NCCY, as the successor organization to the 1960 White HouseConference on Children and Youth, was carrying out several of itsmain objectives, namely: to fol- low up recommendations of the 1960White House Conference, to focus attention on emerging problems as theyaffect children and youth, and to bring together groups andindividuals concerned with the young and the conditions that influence theirenvironment. This we did at the National Conference onProblems of Rural Youth in a Changing Environment.The program was well worked out by Dr. Edward W.Aiton, Director of Extension Service,University of Maryland, Chairman of theConference Planning Committee, andthe experienced and knowledgable committeemembers from a broad variety of fields concerned with ruralyouth. We had authoritative speakers. Twenty workgroups gave those withspecialized interests opportunities to learn and to inform.Instructive background papers (2) werede- veloped by leaders in their respectivefields. We had the viewpoints of adults and of young peoplethemselves. An impressive resume of find- ings was compiled by Dr. Russell G.Mawby of Michigan State Uni- versity. A course of future action wascharted by Dr. Paul A. Miller, President of West Virginia Universityand Associate Chairman of the Conference. (2) Rural Youth in Crisis: Facts,Myths, and Social Change. Confer- ence background paperspublished by U. S. Department of Health, Edu- cation, and Welfare, GovernmentPrinting Office, Washington, D. C. iv This Conference was enriched by a special contribution by Mr. Winthrop Rockefeller, Chairman of the Conference, through his making available "A Study of the Problems, Attitudes and Aspirations of Rural Youth," a survey prepared for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund by Elmo Roper and Associates. It was Mr. Rockefeller's idea that a good start- ing point was to find out what young people themselves think about their problems in a changing environment.This Conference Report includes Mr. Rockefeller's keynote address, "Let's Listen to Youth," (Page 15) and a summary and interpretation of the Roper report (Page 25). The Conference was made possible through financial support of: The Office of Manpower, Automation and Training of the U:, S. Department of Labor The Office of Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Development, U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Consumers Cooperative Association American Vocational Association Contributions of staff and services were received from the Eco- nomic Research Service and Federal Extension Service, U. S.