Programs

Main Street Project programs

Fifty-five million people live in rural areas of the United States. Rural populations are once again growing - in ethnicity and sheer numbers - even as fewer than ever families earn their living from the land. Today's challenges range from economic obstacles to limited local resources, compounded by a limited voice in policy planning and government.

To grow and prosper, rural communities will need to tackle challenges from all directions, thinking and acting creatively, seeing the possibilities. That's where the Main Street Project programs come in:

• Community-Based Civic Engagement - investing in community-specific civic education, engagement and participation

• The Raíces Project - building capacity within rural communities to address challenges, using the strengths of the Latino community
  
  A collaboration between the Main Street Project, the University of Iowa Institute for the Support of Latino Families and Communities, and the Northwest Area Foundation

• Latino Leadership Project - providing training and development to emerging community leaders of all ages

• Latino Enterprise Center - supporting entrepreneurship, encouraging home ownership, and linking workers with educational and skills development resources

• Rural Media Project - working to close the digital divide and give media access to credible resources on relevant issues