Blog in Transition

Hello Followers and Visitors,

First, let me start by saying thank you to all of you who have shown interest in my blog. I've appreciated the comments, mentions, and networking opportunities.

Technically, I am no longer required to keep a blog as of last Friday when my Rural Capacity Internship ended. But internship or no internship, I've grown to enjoy sharing stories of rural and discussing #ReasonsRuralRocks. I've been hired to do some program evaluation for my internship supervisors and will continue to work within the field of rural sustainability. For these reasons, it seems a shame to let this blog die.

On the other hand, I am no longer "Podcasting through the Prairies" (though there may be a small video component to the work that I will be doing). Likewise, this blog has evolved over the summer into less of an examination of the role of video in development and into more of a forum for fans of rural.

Therefore, I felt that there was a need to make a blog transition. I will continue to blog about things rural at my new blog Reasons Rural Rocks. All of the #ReasonsRuralRocks blog posts from this site will be copied over to the new one and it is my hope that the conversation will continue with new reasons every week. I encourage those of you who are following this blog to consider becoming followers of Reasons Rural Rocks.

Again, thanks for a great summer. This experience has strengthened my love of rural and that is definitely something that I am grateful for.

Please continue to send your #ReasonsRuralRocks to me @sherbani or post them on the blog!

#ReasonsRuralRocks Top Ten Aug 22-26

I'm very please to announce that, after a bit of a dry spell last week, the #ReasonsRuralRocks are coming in faster than ever! There were so many good ones this week that I couldn't narrow it down to only ten. That's right lucky readers, today you get 2 bonus reasons for the price of ten!

Honourable mentions:

You can drive your truck in the yard and no one cares @CircleBalpacas
Being able to park right outside the bank, drugstore, museum, etc. @midgelambert

10. Woodpeckers (5-6) on my lawn; a hummingbird hovers over the planter with bush and garden in the background. @celticperegrini
9. On Wednesdays in our town you can get a heaping plate of German food for cheaper than fast food. @WishekND
8. Seeing a game of road hockey in the streets and not feeling frightened that the children are in danger. @ACSRC
7. The first jars of pickled carrots. Grew the dill and carrots myself. @centralABBeth
6. Rural rocks because your neighbor will cut your lawn if need be. @Tojosan

and of course

5. If you really live rural they'll harvest your entire yearly crop for you! @CraigGMoore
4. You can live and work in a rural area for 4 months, yet have experiences and memories that will last a life time! @KendraKerrigan
3. It's easier to connect (and be connected) with the right people to get things done & make an impact. @creativebug
2. Your hometown is not where you are from, it is who you are. @royprevost

And, chosen by popular response, the Number One Reason Rural Rocks....

You can leave a bottle of wine on a doorstep, and be sure it will reach the right person. @BecyMcCray

A big thank you to all who shared #ReasonsRuralRocks this week. It was great to hear some new voices and to continue the conversation with old friends. @BeckyMcCray's response was clearly the most popular this week, showing up in multiple retweets. Maybe we were all feeling a bit thirsty?

Here's hoping that the weekend finds you enjoying rural, whether that be with a bottle of wine and good friends; out in the field; or simply gazing at a breathtaking view and thinking, "This is exactly where I'm meant to be."

Engaging Rural Youth

I'll start with a disclaimer: I was in no way involved in the planning, organizing, or facilitating of this event; all of the credit goes to my fellow intern Naomi; I simply held a camera.

Meant to be a fun event for local youth, Edgerton's Amazing Race did a wonderful job of showcasing many of the unique features of the community. Contestants completed a series of activities that had them racing around the village, much like how participants on the Amazing Race t.v. series race around the world. While the challenges themselves were just for fun, and some were plain silly, the event had a real impact on Edgerton. The community came together to support Naomi both in the lead up to the big day and during the race. There was a group of interested residents that followed the contestants around to the various challenges. Many business owners and village staff volunteered to help supervise a challenge location.

At the end of the day, volunteers, participants, and their families gathered for a community BBQ. For me, it was a great example of an innovative, low cost way to foster community engagement.

Prairie Fun Days

On August 20-21, the County of Camrose hosted Prairie Fun Days. Many rural communities within the county took advantage of the amazing weather and showcased what makes them unique. I figured I wouldn't be much of a rural intern if I didn't see what Prairie Fun Days was all about. In an attempt to fully take advantage of this family friendly event, I brought my two young cousins along for the ride.

The event was set up so that you could pick and choose which of the eleven attractions you wanted to visit, though I heard many people saying that they were planning to stop at each place. We were able to visit a total of five and really enjoyed them all.

Camrose County Nature Conservation Centre

Our day began with a visit to the Camrose County Nature Conservation Centre which was once a gravel mine. As the pictures below will demonstrate, the reclamation is truly amazing. The county was able to turn the land into an area that can be used for picnics, bird watching, swimming, scuba diving...and the list goes on. We took a walk along one of the paths and simply enjoyed the beauty that surrounded us.

A breathtaking view!

A map showing all the possible activities. 

It's obvious why this place is so popular. 

Alberta's Littlest Airport

After the peace and quiet at the Conservation Centre, the sights and sounds of the Littlest Airport really energized our senses! The pilots held their audience captivated as they performed absolutely astounding aerial feats. I think we could've happily stayed there all day. It was definitely challenging to convince the girls that we should move on to our next stop. 

Preparing for take-off. 

A super loud jet entertains the crowd. 

It takes a great pilot to pull off this move!

Jojo's Maze Craze

Jojo's Maze Craze and 18-hole mini golf is located close to my parents' farm. I visited it a couple times the summer it first opened and it was neat to see the new additions. The girls loved the bouncy slide and castle (again it was hard to convince them to leave). We got lost once or twice in the corn maze but eventually found our way out. 

There is a petting zoo too.

Tons of bouncy fun.

No wonder we got lost.

Look up, way up.

Kingman Museum and Tea House

Kingman is a significant place in our family history. Our grandma was actually one of the people who helped paint the wonderful mural that is on the outside of the Tea House. It was great for the girls and I to learn about the history of the place our grandma calls home. We also enjoyed a special treat of cake, fresh berries, and ice cream compliments of our gracious hosts. 

The mural that commemorates Kingman's 100th anniversary.

Pretending to be a one-room school teacher.

Can you picture guys wearing this bathing suit (circa 1930) today?

A glance into the past. 

Hay Lakes Telegraph Park

We ended our day with a visit to Hay Lakes. My fellow intern, Shara, played a big roll in organizing the Prairie Fun Days activities at Telegraph Park. Lucky visitors got to tour the area, make crafts, and learn about hobo signs. My cousins had fun on the playground and we all enjoyed finding hobo messages.

An example of a secret message hobos used to communicate.

Hobos beware!

By the end of the day, though I was physically exhausted, my appreciation for the local area was refreshed. We didn't even see half of what Prairie Fun Days had to offer. I know that the event strengthened the solidarity of the county and brought out many interested visitors. For me, it was a prime example of why it is a good idea to be a tourist in your own local area. 

In the News

While the #ReasonsRuralRocks trend appears to be slowing down on Twitter, it remains the topic of discussion. It was the recent subject of an article in the Camrose Canadian as well as being featured on the popular ReImagine Rural blog.

Thanks to Laurie Callsen and the Canadian and to Michael Knutson for promoting positive rural news. If you're on the Twitter you can hear more from them by following @Laurie_Callsen @CamroseCdnNews @Michael_Knutson

#ReasonsRuralRocks Aug 8-12

Sadly there were not enough tweets to make a Top Ten for last week. Maybe we've already mentioned all the reasons rural rocks? I seriously doubt it. But in any case, there were some honourable mentions that deserve some attention:

• We know how to grow stuff- corn, beans, kids, cows, you name it. @monicambailey
• Rural rocks because a few hour 'unplug' hiking, climbing, skiing, fishing is often just out your back door. @Nancymcatqq
• Rather than a 45 minute commute across the city, you can take a 45 minute walk across the town! @ACSRC

As always, I encourage you to follow these tweeters on Twitter. I hope to keep hearing your #ReasonsRuralRocks and a big thank you to all who have participated! 

Internship Highlight

The Rural Capacity Interns were asked by the Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities (ACSRC) to reflect on the internship highlights. Here is my highlight:

Growing up I was never ashamed to admit that I was a rural kid but I would be lying if I said that there weren’t times when I felt that living in a rural area had disadvantages. Of course, I know now that both urban and rural come with their own unique advantages and disadvantages. A highlight of the internship for me has been being able to connect with people, via social media, who share an appreciation for all things rural. It was exciting to learn that there is a movement to get people talking about rural in a new light. I think that as interns, we have played an important role in bringing fresh insight into the rural discussion.

#ReasonsRuralRocks Top Ten Aug 1-5

I am very happy to present this weeks Top Ten #ReasonsRuralRocks list. There are some wonderful new commentators on this trend. I encourage those of you with Twitter accounts to consider following these lovers of rural. An important part of rural sustainability/development is highlighting the positive features of rural settings. Yes, there are challenges. Anyone working in this field can tell you that, and they are big challenges. However, there is value in discussing what makes rural great. There are no better reasons to celebrate rural than these:

10. Laboring in the soil as the sun sets over a corn field on a one hundred degree day soothes the soul. @NERenaissance

9. the quiet and the sounds of the birds, crickets, and frogs, the dark nights, the Milky Way @ripplenw

8. Full Service Gas Stations @KendraKerrigan

7. Bacon & eggs are a way of life. @brentnathaniel

6. Children in rural schools often receive more personal attention from their teachers because of small class sizes @Michael_Knutson

5. My crazy commute is 10 miles in 10 minutes @return2rural

4. A great sense of Community! @JanaeHansen

3. Kids in rural schools learn how to coexist with those who aren't friends. Like 'em or not, you're together for 12 yrs! @abruralgirl

2. Locavesting investing in main street instead of wall street @Cre8tiveDanT

1. 5 minutes to work, lake, dinner, & nearly everything else @veelhoeden

Obviously, this list could have been re-ordered in an endless variety of combinations. The order, I’ll admit, is rather arbitrary. I’m just so glad that people are excited to share their favourite things about rural. Please continue to spread the trend. A big thank you to those who have been working hard to get people talking about #ReasonsRuralRocks 

Trending: The Movie

A story of how the #ReasonsRuralRocks trend came to be. Please share with other lovers of rural.

#ReasonsRuralRocks Top Ten July 25-29

I thought I would compile a Top Ten from the responses to #ReasonsRuralRocks (see previous post for background info) that showed up in my timeline this week.


10. You can dance like no on is watching because no one is!! @abruralgirl
9. Keeping your windows at home open and hearing the sounds of nature! @KendraKerrigan
8. Going to your neighbors' and surprising them for coffee and it isn't considered breaking in @return2rural
7. Open starry skies, flowers on dirt roads, fragrant fresh air, abundance of wildlife, commUNITY, escape... @dizzyraerae
6. Family-run restaurants that still serve REAL, fresh, home-cooked food. @ACSRC
5. Lower cost of living allowing me to work less and play more! @plind
4. Watching a storm roll in and smelling the scent of rain in the air. @MyRuralRoots
3. Water that tastes like water. @karla_kerrigan
2. Rush minute instead of rush hour. @ARDNpaul
1. Coming back home after years of being gone and hearing people call you by your first name. @onepercentyello


Thank you to all who sent in your ideas! I was totally impressed by the diversity and sheer number of comments. Let's keep this trend alive. Stay tuned to see who will make the Top Ten next week.


{In the spirit of #followfriday, I'm sure all of these tweeters would love to have some new followers!}

Starting a Trend

For someone who used to be opposed to the whole idea of Twitter, I can safely say that I am a Twitter convert. It truly is a wonderful networking tool. Every time that I check my timeline I find interesting news articles, updates on local events, and new people/groups with whom I share interests.

According to Return2Rural, where my fellow intern Larae is spending her summer, what was once the Wild West has become the Wired West. So many people and organizations interested in rural sustainability are making use of Twitter and other social networking sites to collaborate and share ideas.

If you are reading this post, chances are you have an interest in rural sustainability. I would love to hear the reasons why you believe that rural is great. Wouldn't it be great to see #ReasonsRuralRocks trend on Twitter? Help start the conversation and send me your thoughts @sherbani (be sure to use the #hashtag above).

If you love rural, let people know!



Resources
www.returntorural.ca
www.dizzyraerae.tumblr.com (Larae's blog)

Intern Article

My posts tend to be biased towards the medium of video. Here is an article that does a great job of explaining the internship http://bit.ly/pBWO29 (starring Amy Wilhelm, Ellis Agbenyega, and Jeremy Smith).

When Life Gives you Lemons

As some of you already know, the Creative Video Retreat (mine and Kailyn’s Participatory Video project) did not go as planned. In fact, it went as little to plan as something can possibly go while still being vaguely associated with the original plan. If my university education is to be believed, perhaps I can best illustrate this point by making use of comparison and contrast.

INTENT

Bring together a diverse group of students to work on the Creative Video project, in an attempt to get the participants to expand their social circles.

REALITY

The students that attended the retreat were all friends and knew each other very well, making out “icebreaker” and team building activities awkward and forced. (The only reason that we went ahead as planned was because as facilitators we felt that there was still value in us getting to know them and vice versa).

INTENT

Complete a video to at least the beginning stages of editing within three days, with a group consisting of 8-10 high school participants.

REALITY

Due to challenges recruiting students during the summer, we agreed to do the project if we could get a minimum of 4 participants. While 5 were registered, one cancelled roughly an hour before the first session. With only 4 recruits everything that we had planned took about half as much time; we ended up only having activities for 1.5 days.

INTENT

Teach basic video skills to a group of students with varying skill levels thereby increasing their confidence in this creative process.

REALITY

The students that we worked with were Video Junkies, this is their hobby and passion. At age 15, they have invested over $1200 into equipment and software. There was very little (if anything) that I could teach them technically.

INTENT

Encourage participants to use video as a medium to tell a meaningful story. The process is ideally meant to be empowering for everyone involved.

REALITY

Given that the participants regularly make videos together they were quite set in their ways in terms of process and video content. While they briefly considered making a “serious” movie (due to our prompting), they ultimately decided to do what they always did and made a comedy/action film.

As you can see, basically all of our expectations with this project were crushed by the circumstances that we found ourselves in. Frustratingly, aside from starting recruitment earlier, there was very little that we could have done to prevent the challenges that we faced. 

So how can we take all these lemons and make us some metaphorical lemonade?

Kailyn and I struggled as we thought about what benefit, if any, came from all of our efforts. After much thought, we feel that it is safe to say that, if nothing else, we did validate these young men’s pastime. Throughout the sessions they kept mentioning how no one cared about their videos. It is my hope that, by showing an interest in their skills and talents, we have encouraged them to think of their hobby as a legitimate creative outlet.  Though it is a bit of a stretch, this could be considered to be empowering for them.

While it was challenging to stay positive after encountering barrier after barrier that prevented us from achieving our intended outcomes, I truly feel that we made the best of the situation. Generally, people learn more when they fail than when they succeed. Certainly, there is much to be learnt from this attempt at a participatory video project. 

Hobbema: Moving Beyond Tragedy

Given the sad events this week, it is important to acknowledge hope. If you haven't done so already, please read my colleague's response to the Hobbema tragedy http://bit.ly/nFsEKf

Alison's words give me courage to believe that the community will grow stronger in light of this heartbreak. The Maskwascis Justice Society with whom Alison works, is offering inspiring programs that can show us all that there is a tomorrow worth believing in.

Just prior to this loss, Alison had made a video about one of the Maskwascis programs http://bit.ly/p9ugQ0 It is even more important than ever to hear positive stories about Hobbema.

Sturgeon County Bounty

Fellow intern Shelby Sherwick did an amazing job of organizing the Sturgeon County Bounty, an event that saw tens of thousands people experience local cuisine while celebrating Canada Day.

Canada Day

So I had to work on Canada Day but it turned out to be pretty fun. I ate my fill of delicious local food at the Sturgeon County Bounty, watched the awesome power of a tank at work, and generally enjoyed the atmosphere at CFB Edmonton. Apparently, the base is open to the public, not just on special occasions. I would recommend that you check it out.

What's so "Special" about Special Areas, Alberta?

After a lovely visit to Oyen, Alberta (located in Alberta's Special Areas), I created this video. Larae's enthusiasm about Return2Rural makes this a fun watch.

On a side note, it was meant to be exactly 1:00 min like all the other "A Day in the Life" videos but I accidentally ended up with one extra second for this one. In no way should this be interpreted as me favouring Larae over the other interns.

Enjoy!

Lianne the Intern

Lianne Theelen is kept busy in Mirror, Alberta, working for the Boomtown Trail and Community Futures East Parkland. When I met with her to film this short video, she was very exciting to tell me about all the things she has been learning and what she has been working on. I'm sure that she would love for you to read her blog http://ruralcapacityinternship.wordpress.com. For more information on the organizations that she is working for, please check out http://www.boomtowntrail.com and http://www.eastparkland.com

Creative Video Retreat: Sundre, Alberta

Yesterday morning I left Camrose bright and early to travel to Sundre, Alberta where my fellow intern, Kailyn Jones, and I pitched the Creative Video Retreat idea to high school students. Kailyn and I were encouraged by the students' excitement and interest in working with us on this project. Though the final details of the Retreat have not yet been finalized I would like to share with you our proposal.

What is Participatory Video?

Participatory video is an empowering process meant to give individuals a voice through the creative outlet of filmmaking. Participatory video projects vary in length and structure however; they generally involve bringing together a group of individuals to learn filmmaking skills while producing a short video. In particular, participatory video has been proven to be especially empowering for youth populations (Wallace-DiGarbo & Hill, 2006).

Importantly, participatory video is primarily about the process as opposed to the end result (Lunch, 2006).In some cases the group will decide to showcase their final product within their community however, in other cases the final product is only viewed internally. The topic or theme of the video is not predetermined by the facilitator but instead emerges from the group members (Lunch, 2006). Due to emphasis on empowerment it is essential that the topic or theme is not determined by the facilitator but instead is generated internally by the group.      

The Theory Behind Participatory Video

Participatory video as a method for engaging and working with youth has been validated in academic literature. Boyd (2010) found statistically significant improvements in the quality of life and social connectedness of youth who participated in a filmmaking project. Participatory video is thought to produce beneficial outcomes because of the underlying assumption of creative outlets such as filmmaking. Crawford and Patterson (2007) suggest that creative outlets, such as filmmaking, encourage self-expression, promote self-awareness and increase insight, thereby enhancing overall psychological wellbeing.   

Anticipated Outcomes of a Participatory Video Project 

A number of benefits have been observed in youth who were involved in a participatory video project. In particular, Boyd (2010) conducted a mixed-method study evaluating the use of participatory video with youth.  The outcomes of this study are listed here:

·      A creative outlet to express ones’ self

·      Ownership and a sense of achievement 

·      Increased social connections

·      Increased motivation

·      Increased confidence and self-esteem

·      Increased insight and community awareness

·      Development of new skills (e.g. team work skills, decision making skills, conflict management      skills)

The Creative Video Retreat

The Creative Video Retreat will provide an opportunity for participants to learn basic video skills while exploring issues of communication, decision-making, and community awareness.  The program will be primarily focused on interpersonal skill development and leadership training.  Overall, our intention is to provide an environment where participants are able to voice their stories, concerns, and hopes through the creative outlet of filmmaking.

References

Boyd, C. (2010). Development and evaluation of a pilot filmmaking project for rural youth with serious mental illness. Youth Studies Australia, 29(3), 27-35.

Crawford, M.J. & Patterson, S. 2007, ‘Arts therapies for people with schizophrenia: An emerging evidence base’, Evidence Based Mental Health, v.10, n.3, pp.69-70.

Lunch, C. (2004) 'PV - Rural People Document their Knowledge and Innovations': IK Notes.

Lunch, C. (2006) Insight's into Participatory Video: a handbook for the field.

Nathanials, N.Q (2006) Implementation of Cocoa IPM in West Africa. Participatory Video. A guide to getting started (CABI).

Wallace-DiGarbo, A. & Hill, D.C. 2006, ‘Art as agency: Exploring empowerment of at-risk youth’, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, v.23, n.3, pp.119-25.

A Day in the Life of Kendra

This is the second video in the "A Day in the Life" series. Intern Kendra Kerrigan gives us a tour of Forestburg, Alberta where she is spending the summer working to coordinate the efforts of local volunteers.

Rural Capacity Internship- A Day in the Life

Staring the lovely Shara Harke, my fellow intern and census collector extraordinaire.

What is Rural?

I'd love to hear what rural means to you. Please post comments!

Interns and Jaywalkers

On Friday I had the opportunity to meet up with my fellow intern, Ellis, as he spent the afternoon at the City of Camrose's Curbside Compositing exhibit. While the weather was crummy, Ellis and his co-host were excited to inform visitors to the Jaywalkers Jamboree about this new initiative.

This is our "where is Ellis?" face.

Jaywalkers- not the warmest place to be.

At last we located Ellis!

All in all, I gave this day a thumbs up.

Road Trip Detour

While out visiting another intern, Meaghan and I came across a sign "8 km to World's Largest Perogy". Of course, we had to stop! The culture of "Worlds Largests" is integral to issues of rural capacity. Don't believe me? http://archives.cbc.ca/lifestyle/travel/clips/17016/

thumbs up for pyrogy (or perogy)

in awe of the pyrogy

hug/trying to lift giant fork 

Introducing the Interns

Video Tips

For other interns (or people interested in learning the basics of video) here are some tips:

1. Take time to get to know your video camera and the basic
functions


2. To keep it simple, leave the video camera set on ‘Automatic’, 
don't use the manual settings- if needed you can adjust the 
shots in the editing stage


3. If there is wind, try to protect the microphone otherwise the
sound will distort- sometimes a sock or other fabric will help
minimize this issue


4. Always film a scene for at least 10 seconds to make sure that 
you have enough to work with in the editing stage


5. Try to limit how often you zoom or pan, but if you need to 
do so make slow movements


6. When filming people, keep the light in front of them, not
behind


7. B-roll related to what the interviewee is discussing will
add to viewer interest 

This list was adapted from Lunch and Lunch's "Insights into
Participatory Video" Handbook (pgs. 68-70)

Photos from the Hunt

Biking 'round Camrose

A wonderful example of cultural sustainability.

Sustainable Community Scavenger Hunt

Watch out City of Camrose! The Rural Capacity Interns will be biking around town today, taking part in a “Sustainable Community Scavenger Hunt”. A series of clues will lead us to knowledgeable Camrose citizens who will provide us with insight into what makes a community sustainable. After collecting information and visiting various locations throughout the day, we will design an ideal sustainable community.

See if you can decipher our clues:

Check out the Clock,

At the centre of the city,

The City Manager shall greet you,

Like he does many a committee

Wildlife and Greenspaces

Part of the world of conservation

Out Stoney Creek Valley

Is an ongoing inspiration

Revitalization

Of a historical place,

A building once full of glory

Has got a new face

Along the way we will are also tasked with taking a picture of something that illustrates sustainability, an area where there is potential for improvement, and a creative group shot. Our questions for the people we meet along the way are:

What is an important sustainability initiative for your community to take on?

What are your thoughts on local food initiatives and farmer's markets?

What is the biggest challenge for senior citizens living in a rural community?

What do you value about your community? What makes you stay here?

Stay tuned in to learn about the ideal sustainable community that we design after our hunt!

                                                                                                                        

Internship Goals

I had hoped to make it through life without a twitter or blog account. However, within the first two hours of my new job as a Rural Capacity Intern I have both. Apparently, they are requirements of the position. So here it goes.

Overall, the objective of the intern program is to foster positive connections between the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus and rural communities. Often the relationship between university and community has been one-sided, with the former using the latter as a source of research data. Stereotypically, the educational institution takes from communities without giving anything back. The Rural Capacity Intern Program aims to counteract the negative connotations of university/community partnerships through a critically reflective process of action and reflection. As interns, recent graduates and continuing Augustana students will spend the summer living in rural Albertan communities and working in partnership with local initiatives or organizations.

While the rest of my colleagues are working in a specific geographic location, I will be traveling between their various communities, creating podcasts about the internship program- hence the title of this blog. My task fits nicely within an area of personal interest. I am currently considering the potential of using video as a medium for community development and sustainability. This summer, my goals for the internship are to:

1. Learn about “Participatory Video”, and hopefully have the chance to work on this kind of project.
(see http://insightshare.org/resources/pv-handbook for examples)

2. Get a greater appreciation and understanding of an area of the world that I have lived in my whole life.

3. Begin to think about some of the complex issues facing rural Alberta and how these issues apply to a broader global context.

4. Reflect on what it is that I want to do with my B.A. in Global and Development Studies

5. And, by the end of the summer, have a really awesome road trip playlist in order to facilitate all the car dancing that will be necessary as part of my job.