Rural Youth Education Study

Hello from the Penn State University Rural Youth Education (RYE) Project staff! Our study is designed to help us understand the future plans of youth in rural Pennsylvania. The study began in the 2004/2005 school year when we surveyed all the 7th and 11th grade students in 10 rural school districts throughout Pennsylvania, a total of 1,536 students. In Wave 1, we asked about future plans for school, work, starting a family, and where they want to live as adults.

Wave 2 data collection is happening in Fall 2006 when the former 7th grade students are now in the 9th grade, and the former 11th grade students are now one year out of high school. We are asking many of the same questions, with more focus on their local community and how it influences their future plans related to education, work, family and where they want to live. For the older group we ask if their plans have changed, what they are now doing (working, college, combining work and school, started a family, etc…) and if they are beginning to achieve their goals. We plan to follow up the study participants two more times in 2008 and 2010.

The purpose of this web page is to provide information about the project. Below please follow links to the surveys, recent reports on the project, fact sheets we developed from project findings, and a section that provides periodic project updates. If you have any questions about the study please do not hesitate to contact Anastasia Snyder at 814-865-6223 or tbs105@psu.edu.