In honor of Veteran’s Day the World-Herald ran a series of insightful essays discussing the lasting impact of “the Great War” on our world today.  One point that wasn’t explored, however, was how this war marked the beginning of a significant and prolonged out-migration of young people from rural areas.

As a popular song of that day put it, “How ya gonna keep ‘em down on the farm after they’ve seen gay Paree’?”  Talk about a generation gap — the values and traditions of America’s agrarian past lost their hold on a generation which came of age amidst the mangled bodies and fading grandeur of war-torn Europe.

This outflow of youth is a serious problem in rural Nebraska.  Boone County’s farming population has been declining since the 1920s.  Not only that, it’s picked up speed.  The population of rural Boone County decreased by 56.5% between 1950 and 2000, and dropped an additional 9.8% between 2000 and 2006.

This is not a situation unique to Boone County — it’s the same across rural Nebraska.  Anymore parents just assume the younger generation will one day leave never to return.

But assumptions can mislead.  And while it will always be hard for the generations to communicate, talking with our young people is essential to understanding how they see life in rural Nebraska, what causes them to leave and what might lead them to return.

Craig Schroeder, Senior Associate with the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, recently completed an extensive survey of youth and young adults in the Albion area in order to gain a better understanding of their attitudes and concerns.  Supported by the Connie Day Fund and Nebraska Community Foundation as well as Central and Northeast Community Colleges, this survey is proving many assumptions wrong, including the assumptions that young people don’t like it here and don’t want to return.

For example, of the 96% of Boone Central seventh and eight graders who completed the survey, 38% listed this as an Above Average place to live as a young person while even more — 42% — rated it as Excellent.  And while 78% plan to attend college, 65% see themselves living in the Boone County area in the future.  68% believe this is a good place to raise a family.

I suspect this will surprise many parents.  We’ve come to just assume our children plan to leave.  But this may be because only 35% of the students surveyed said an adult had talked with them about their plans.  One of the major comments students made was that adults “need to talk with young people about opportunities after graduation.”

The survey held another surprise.  While young people’s comments involved the predictable complaints regarding a lack of shopping and recreational activities, they listed the fact that “the heritage of our community is not shared with youth” as a primary concern.

An often overlooked but vital factor in keeping people in rural areas is a strong connection to place.  Love of the land and a sense of both family and tradition have sustained those who have chosen to live in rural Nebraska through recurring depressions and droughts.

And while it can be hard to justify building a huge water park in a small community just to keep young people happy, as some survey respondents advocated, it is well within the ability of every community to instill a sense of place by sharing its past with its young people.  Our children want to know where they come from, want to hear stories of the people who came before them.

This suggests a wonderful opportunity for schools, libraries and museums to work together to educate young people about the past.  Many towns have small museums which work hard to preserve the history of their area, providing an opportunity for students to see and when appropriate handle items from their past.  Libraries and museums often archive local newspapers and it’s not unusual to find locally-compiled books of a town or county’s history.  There’s a wealth of educational resources under our very noses.

The bridge spanning the generation gap is built on the pillars of communication and buttressed by the legacy of the past. By using our historical resources to acquaint our young people with their heritage we can strengthen their roots in our communities, increasing the chances they will find a way to raise their families in the same place they grew up, adding their own stories to our collective heritage.