Southeast

Our Southeast Hub partners at the East Carolina University Rural Education Institute offer a state-wide network of exemplary rural-focused programming aimed at creating equitable, empowered, and thriving rural school ecosystems. Dr. Kristen Cuthrell, Director of the Rural Education Institute, serves as the hub contact for this region.

Located in Greenville, North Carolina, East Carolina University (ECU) was founded as a teacher training institute, and has served the rural communities in the region ever since. Over time, ECU grew to be a leading voice for rural education across the state through their Rural Education Institute (REI). Now, through this new partnership with Rural Schools Collaborative, the REI team and Rural Schools Collaborative work together to elevate the voices of rural educators in North and South Carolina as the Southeast Hub.

The Rural Education Institute is an easily accessible and engaging collaborator with local education stakeholders. By providing a space for rural education voices, perspectives, and innovations to thrive, that REI and its local partners can together strengthen the educational outcomes of rural students, schools, and communities. With those stakeholders, the Rural Education Institute works locally in four primary ways:

• ECU Next Gen: a teacher pathway program that seeks to cultivate the next generation of rural educators and researchers.

• Local and Regional Development: building the capacity of rural places by collaborating with schools and communities.

• Rural Education Promotion: articulating and advocating the importance of rural schools and communities.

• Research and Evaluation: studying investigating what works in rural schools.

To learn more about the work of Dr. Cuthrell and her team at East Carolina University’s Rural Education Institute, explore below.