A new community center. Youth entrepreneurial classes. A county-wide geocaching game. These are just a few of the projects Rural Fellows have completed during their summer-long immersive internships. Since 2013 the Rural Fellowship program has connected college students with rural Nebraska communities as part of a collaborative service-learning experience.

Rural Fellows spend their summers living in Nebraska towns, working on locally-designed projects that support local business, and make progress toward strategic and specific goals to help communities thrive.

Rural Prosperity Nebraska selects student Fellows through a competitive application and interview process. Applicants may be enrolled in any college, study any major, and are required to have a minimum GPA of 2.5/4.0. Selected students earn $5,000 for the 10-week (400-hour) work experience in a placement community. Pairs of fellows live in their placement community to work on community-defined projects and serve their host communities.