Ann Haggart's Legacy Gift Strengthens Rural Education in New Hampshire

Editor's Note: Thank you to New Hampshire's Rural Educational Leaders Network for allowing the Rural Schools Collaborative to publish their website feature. Along with Plymouth State University, the Rural Educational Leaders Network anchors our New England Hub. We are looking forward to participating in their upcoming Summer Summit on July 18-19.

Community-based philanthropy presents real community development possibilities for small towns and rural regions. Cooperative efforts between community foundations, school foundations, and planned giving initiatives have outstanding asset development potential. Ann Haggart and the role she played in the establishment of New Hampshire's Rural Educational Leaders Network is an excellent example of how rural philanthropy can shape the future of a region.

The Rural Educational Leaders Network was made possible through Haggart's vision and generosity. In addition to being a successful business woman, Ann (pictured) was an educational leader in her own right; founding AGH Inc., a company dedicated to providing support services to special needs students. Through her work and the pursuit of her passions, which included state and national politics, Ann identified a need for school and district leaders to have ongoing support for the development of their leadership practice and for their work developing and nurturing authentic and meaningful partnerships with communities.

Born from Ann's vision, the mission of RELN is to develop and support a professional network for New Hampshire's Rural School and District leaders. The work of the Network is focused on the overarching idea, College and Career Readiness: Developing the school and community partnership.

Together RELN works as a professional network to develop partnerships between schools and communities that not only provide rich educational opportunities for students but benefit the economic future of the state's rural areas. Because of Ann's generosity and vision, membership and participation in RELN is free to all of New Hampshire's Rural Principals, Assistant Principals, Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents, and those aspiring to those positions.