Local Youth Is Delegate to National Rural Youth Assembly
Twenty-five year-old Nella Parks is representing Oregon at the National Rural Youth Assembly in New Mexico. She was nominated and selected as one of three delegates from Oregon. Participants in the National Rural Youth Assembly will engage on key policies including rural health, natural resource stewardship, local economies, and quality education.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2010
Contact:
Shaun Daniel, Communications Director, Oregon Rural Action,
541-975-2411 or shaun@oregonrural.org
Nella Parks, Community Organizer, Oregon Rural Action, nella@oregonrural.org
Whitney Kimball Coe, Center for Rural Strategies,
865-688-9546 or whitney@ruralstrategies.org
LOCAL YOUTH IS DELEGATE TO NATIONAL RURAL YOUTH ASSEMBLY
Twenty-five year-old Nella Parks is representing Oregon at the National Rural Youth Assembly in New Mexico. She was nominated and selected as one of three delegates from Oregon. Parks was raised in the Grande Ronde Valley, studied natural resources at Oregon State University, and recently returned to work as a community organizer for Oregon Rural Action. She joins other youth in Santa Fe from April 22-25 at the Institute of American Indian Arts.
According to its website, the National Rural Assembly "asks rural organizations and leaders to nominate young people who are interested in rural issues, invested in strengthening and making an impact in their local communities." Peter Morris of the National Congress for American Indians and member of the Youth Assembly organizing committee said, “These delegates were selected through a very competitive nominations process. Those selected are ages 18-25 and live in rural communities in 28 states across the nation. They represent the geographic, racial, and ethnic diversity of rural America and the nation as a whole.”
Participants in the National Rural Youth Assembly will engage on key policies including rural health, natural resource stewardship, local economies, and quality education. Nella Parks will join 53 young people from throughout rural America at the Assembly, including two other youth representing Oregon, Christopher Stauffer from Enterprise and Jaylan Suppah from Warm Springs.
“The critical question facing many small towns and rural communities is what opportunities are going to be there for this next generation,” said Dee Davis, President of the Center for Rural Strategies and chairperson of the National Rural Assembly steering committee. “It is important that rural young people are part of the conversation and part of finding solutions. We are very encouraged by this strong group of delegates and look forward to their contribution.”
Once back in Oregon, Parks said she will continue her work for Oregon Rural Action on sustainable agriculture, energy efficiency and community-scale renewable energy, and strong, local economies.
"Having grown up in Eastern Oregon, I am deeply appreciative and passionate about rural people and places, especially rural youth." said Parks. "This is the first annual National Rural Youth Assembly and I am excited to learn about rural policy and to learn from an extremely diverse set of rural youth about how they are successfully organizing young folks and improving their communities. I also want to share with the other participants how the rural Eastern Oregon community is working together for a better future."
For more information on the National Rural Youth Assembly, visit www.ruralstrategies.org. For more information on Oregon Rural Action, visit www.oregonrural.org or call Nella Parks at 541-975-2411.
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