There are many different community development areas that can challenge rural areas in building their capacity. Below are a few areas where our projects may focus, but certainly is not to be considered all-inclusive.
Residents in rural mountain areas can be miles away from healthcare services, and may have to travel to more populated counties to see a specialist or specialized urgent care. Particularly in winter, accessing these resources can be very challenging. The Sierra Fellows Program is interested in helping these rural residents gain access to the type of care that they need to increase the health of the communities.
Technological advancements in energy efficiency have decreased fuel consumption across the globe. However, communities in rural areas often don’t have access to these technologies, or cannot afford them. Sierra Fellows work with communities to increase their access to new technologies and implement in a cost-effective way.
Access to education
Rural areas are often challenged to access quality education due to small population that can result in school closures or lack of needed programming. Students from these areas who are interested in going to college apply against individuals from areas with much greater resource pools. Improving educational resources to help students become more inspired about school and more appealing to colleges is an important aspect of building community capacity.