Side by Side

In our first episode, former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, now Director of University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics (IOP), discusses the vital connections between rural and urban America. She shares her experiences growing up in a small town and explains the goals behind IOPs recent Bridging the Divide conference to bring rural and urban Americans together. The conversation touches on the importance of authentic storytelling and the ways in which rural and urban spaces need each other.

More information:
Heidi Heitkamp, Institute of Politics, https://politics.uchicago.edu/fellows/former-fellows/heidi-heitkamp

Institute of Politics, Bridging the Divide Conference, https://politics.uchicago.edu/get-involved/bridging-the-divide

Sarah Smarsh and Rhymefest: Transforming Narratives, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIPdHhZV0w8

UMN Extension, How to shift the rural-urban discussion toward an appreciation for interdependence, https://extension.umn.edu/community-news-and-insights/how-shift-rural-urban-discussion-toward-appreciation-interdependence

UMN Extension, Rural-urban interdependence resources, https://extension.umn.edu/community-development/rural-urban-interdependence

Benya Kraus, mentioned during this conversation, served on the planning committee for IOP's Bridging the Divide conference. Benya is the co-founder of Lead for America, https://www.leadforamerica.org/.

Questions, feedback, want to get in touch?  Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu