RURAL SUMMIT
FOR CRADLE TO
CAREER SUCCESS
Each year, the Rural Summit brings together dedicated leaders who share a commitment to advancing the futures of rural children, families and communities. Join educators, community leaders, higher education leaders, elected officials, workforce professionals, philanthropic leaders and others as we exchange innovative ideas and effective strategies to ensure that every rural youth is on the path to upward mobility from cradle to career.
At the heart of the Summit is the power to ignite change. It’s a place for rural leaders and community members to showcase exemplars, share effective strategies and activate practical, high-quality solutions for empowering children and youth in rural communities.
More than just a conference, the Rural Summit is a call to action — a chance to be part of a transformative rural movement, where rural voices shape the future.
The 2026 Rural Summit will be held April 12-15 at the Buffalo Convention Center in Buffalo, NY.
Check back later this summer for more information.
Learn More About Past Events
Take a look back at the 2024 Rural Summit in Lexington, KY, held April 29 – May 1, 2024.
Nearly 700 attendees gathered at the Central Bank Center in Lexington for three days of networking, six inspiring keynotes and over 40 breakout sessions.
Takeaways from 2025
At the 2025 Rural Summit, keynote speakers from across the nonprofit, education and youth leadership sectors shared powerful insights grounded in their lived experiences and community work. Through a blend of storytelling and strategy, they highlighted what truly makes a difference for rural youth: building strong partnerships, listening to young people’s voices and investing in place-based, student-centered approaches.
With the help of a graphic facilitator, we visually captured key takeaways from those sessions.
Since 2018, the Summit has featured a wide range of keynote speakers including Dr. Jill Biden, educator and former first lady of the United States; Dr. John B. King Jr., president and CEO of The Education Trust and former U.S. Secretary of Education; Silas House, New York Times best-selling author and Kentucky Poet Laureate; Geoffrey Canada, founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone; Dr. Michael McAfee, president and CEO of Policy Link; Jennifer Blatz, president and CEO of StriveTogether; Sarah Eagle Heart, Emmy-award winning social justice storyteller, entrepreneur, and philanthropic leader; H. Luke Shaefer, Kohn Professor of Social Policy at the University of Michigan and co-author of The Injustice of Place; and Alan Cohen, founder of the Child Poverty Action Lab.
Past Sponsors
