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The mission of the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) Program is to increase the capacity of rural communities to improve their economic, social, and environmental conditions, through the assistance of trained graduate-level members who live and work in communities for 11 months.

The RARE Program received good news on June 6, 2025 that our AmeriCorps grant for the current (2024-25) service year has been reinstated. We are continuing the current service year, through July. However due to the uncertainty of federal funding, we have made the difficult decision to pause the RARE AmeriCorps Program for the next service year. We are exploring what a future version of the program could look like – if you’d like to stay informed and contribute your voice, please fill out this form. If you’d like to help by spreading the word about the impacts of the RARE Program over the years, see our communications toolkit.

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“Just being present in the community as a dedicated servant of the public has a big impact in this small rural area. I have been surprised over and over again that my ‘reputation precedes me’ simply due to the fact that I have chosen to be here and bring my passion and background to the Illinois Valley.” – Erica Mooney, Year 26, Illinois Valley Soil and Water Conservation District