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"We'd hope people would get a healthier lifestyle if it was right in town within walking distance. If we made it cheaper than all the snack foods, more people would come around to it." In This Episode In this episode of The Forgottonia Project, host Joe Brewer sits down with Grace Yaste and Natalie English, … Continue reading "Youth Civic Pitch Showcase: Revitalizing Abandoned Spaces for Fresh Food Access with Grace Yaste and Natalie English"

"People should not just be getting by on frozen items at a dollar store—they still need to be supplied with the fresh stuff... I want kids to grow up healthy and not have this mindset of 'oh, frozen corn dogs are always best for you." In This Episode In this episode of The Forgottonia Project, … Continue reading "Youth Civic Pitch Showcase: Tackling Rural Food Deserts and Community Health with Georgia Kennedy"

"I just wanted to bring recognition to the community and show people a rural county is not as boring as people think it is" In This Episode In this episode of The Forgottonia Project, host Joe Brewer sits down with Ellie Patterson, a student at Cuba High School and winning entry creator in our first-ever … Continue reading "Youth Civic Pitch Showcase: Celebrating Rural Community Pride Through Digital Storytelling with Ellie Patterson"

"As technology becomes more of a norm, people don't really sit down and have conversations like, 'What was your childhood like? What was growing up during this event like?'" In This Episode In this episode of The Forgottonia Project, host Joe Brewer sits down with Amber Cannon, a 2026 graduate at Cuba High School and … Continue reading "Youth Civic Pitch Showcase: How Amber Cannon is Preserving Local Oral History"

"It’s tough to quantify what’s been lost as more small-town newspapers disappear... but we’re trying to bring back stories that matter most to the people who live here.” — Josiah Chatterton, The Forgottonia Times In This Episode In this episode of The Forgottonia Project, we sit down with Josiah Chatterton, founder of The Forgottonia Times; … Continue reading "Keeping Local News Alive: Interview with Josiah Chatterton of The Forgottonia Times"

“When we asked the community, they didn’t care if their kids went to Harvard. They cared about the kind of people they were.” -Cory Steiner In This Episode As rural schools prepare to welcome students back this fall, many educators and communities are reflecting on what’s working—and what needs to change. In this episode, we … Continue reading "Designing a Better Rural School with Dr. Cory Steiner"

“We feel we need all the counties to really lend credence to what we’re trying to say (which is to make and approve a petition to withdraw & form a 51st state)... I feel that Phase Three is about ready to begin, and I can step down as governor of Forgottonia. I think the time … Continue reading "Illinois: A State Apart – Episode #5 – The Republic of Forgottonia (1973)"

"For rural children, work was at the top of the triangle, followed by school, and only then came play... Play wasn’t a luxury—it was a survival skill. Children turned goats, chickens, and old carts into their playground." -Pamela Riney-Kehrberg On This Episode Historian Dr. Pamela Riney-Kehrberg joins us to discuss her book Childhood on the … Continue reading "Childhood on the Farm: Work, Play, and Coming of Age in the Midwest – a Conversation with Author Pamela Riney-Kehrberg"

"Oftentimes rural places are cast from a deficit perspective, they're portrayed as places where people leave. That can be pretty harmful for students that are growing up in these places. Local history has a real power to draw students in, to help them feel civically engaged and empowered." -Rory Dunn On This Episode Joey Brewer … Continue reading "Reimagining History Education in Rural America: A Conversation with Rory Dunn and Dr. Ariel Cornett"

“Greatness comes from within. It doesn’t matter if you’re from a town of 100 or 100,000—if you believe in yourself and work your butt off, you can do anything.” Joe Decker On This Episode We talk with Joe Decker, Guinness World Record Holder and “World’s Fittest Man” who is a native of rural Forgottonia (Smithfield, IL). … Continue reading "How the World’s Fittest Man Was Forged in Forgottonia: A Conversation with Joe Decker"

"Rural towns may be losing population, but there’s a beauty of history there. If you take the time to look, there are hidden gems everywhere." Bob Chikos On this episode Host Joey Brewer visits with Bob Chikos—an educator, map enthusiast, and Teach Plus alum—who recently completed a remarkable personal quest: visiting all 102 counties in … Continue reading "Every County in Illinois: One Teacher’s Journey Across the Prairie State"

"Play activates neural pathways—it helps children develop emotionally, socially, physically, and cognitively. It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity." Lisa Hood, Director of Research & Evaluation at Regional Office of Education #17 On this episode Host Joey Brewer chats with Lisa Hood and Paul Larson to explore the impact of play-based learning. The conversation touches … Continue reading "The Power of Play: How Rural Schools Can Lead the Way in Play-Based Learning, with Lisa Hood and Paul Larson"

“Forgottonia’s story reminds us that small towns hold big ideas. When we trust students to lead, create, and connect, we don't just prepare them for the real world — we invite them to change it.” On This Episode What happens when students stop completing assignments for a grade and start creating work for the world? … Continue reading "Classroom Sandboxing in Rural Forgottonia"

"Dialogue isn’t about changing opinions; it’s about understanding each other.” Jared Morris, Education Specialist & Instructional Coach, Office of the Undersecretary for Education, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. On This Episode We're excited to share a conversation led by two Beardstown High School freshmen, Vraj and Genesis, as they interview Jared Moris and Ali McKersie, the … Continue reading "Fostering Dialogue and Understanding: A Student-Led Conversation with the Smithsonian’s DiDVE Program"

"Rural schools may lack big-city resources, but they have something just as powerful—strong community ties, flexibility to innovate, and educators who wear many hats to make learning meaningful." On This Episode We sit down with John Glasgow, Program Director of the Rural CTE Project (in partnership with The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools … Continue reading "Rural Schools & the Future of Career and Technical Education: A Conversation with John Glasgow, Program Director – Rural IL CTE Project"