The Nebraska Extension serves 93 counties of various sizes, from cities and towns to villages. The counties are divided into 12 Zones, and several University of Nebraska- Lincoln (UNL) specialists and educators serve in each zone. Not all counties have large populations or big cities, but each one has people who care about the vitality and growth of their communities.
“Even small communities can be quite vibrant and meaningful for the people in the area,” said Dr. Cheryl Burkhart- Kriesel, UNL Professor and Extension Specialist at Rural Prosperity Nebraska, located at the Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff. “Not everything has to be big to be important, to have a lot of fun, and to do good things.”
Burkhart-Kriesel is one of the few Rural Prosperity professors located off the UNL campus. She enjoys her role because it immerses her in the real world with the smaller communities she serves. Rural Prosperity Nebraska offers various services to communities, from helping people brainstorm on community issues or challenges to hosting open forums and reviewing data through surveys or other collected data.
