Don’t miss your opportunity to be a part of this event, now a highly anticipated Campbell tradition, a decade in the making! More information at: library.campbell.edu/symposium
Sign up or log in to bookmark your favorites and sync them to your phone or calendar.
Few have heard of the small town of Reading, Kansas, but this case study seeks to tell its history and describe its current nature as a rural and underserved community. For this analysis, I reviewed publicly available statistics on the town and completed individual interviews with community members to determine the impact of a dwindling population on Reading. With a population of only 128 people, Reading faces a lack of healthcare, law enforcement, and amenities. Despite these disadvantages, however, the town benefits from an abundant community spirit that I discuss through the community capitals framework.
Gauley Bridge is a rural town in Fayette County, West Virginia. In this case study, I use publicly available data and community interviews to explore this geographically isolated and sparsely populated community. Once known as a town reliant on coal mining, the town has since experienced an economic decline that has become all too common in rural areas. As a result, Gauley Bridge has also struggled with health disparities, food insecurity, and school closures. Despite these difficulties, the town maintains its culture of resilience, which is evident through an analysis of its community capitals.
Fairfield, a rural community in Hyde County, North Carolina, faces significant challenges, including low median income, limited education access, and inadequate infrastructure. With only 214 residents, its isolation restricts essential services like healthcare and reliable internet. This case study draws on publicly available data and local interviews to examine how these barriers impact the community and students' preparation for life in or beyond it. Despite these struggles, Fairfield’s natural and social resources foster resilience and community pride. This study explores Fairfield’s history, current challenges, and strategies to strengthen its community capitals to address educational and economic disparities in rural areas.
