Ainsworth
The Sandhills of Nebraska are most commonly known as the middle of nowhere. However, in the middle of nowhere sits the progressive town, Ainsworth, in Brown County. Each year the region plays host to the "Middle of Nowhere Carnival" in June and a national country music festival in August. Ainsworth, like many Nebraska communities, was named after an early railroader. The town was named for Captain James F. Ainsworth, who worked his way across the state while ranchers and cattlemen settled the Sioux territory in 1870.
Located on the western horizon on the outskirts of Ainsworth are 36 wind turbine generators of the Nebraska Public Power District. The white turbines wave in the open sky of rural Nebraska, serving as a reminder to us all that communities need energy to create sustainable futures. Community members in Ainsworth feel that sustaining their rural lifestyle is important, but adding energy to make improvements in the town make a bright future for many.
Ainsworth residents teamed with the University of Nebraska Rural Initiative to help pilot a program called Dialogues Across Nebraska (DAN) in 2005. The goal of the project was to encourage dialogue through an intergenerational approach, while focusing discussion on one real community issue. DAN encourages the exchange of ideas from many and allows everyone's voice to be heard. DAN is a tool Ainsworth can use in the future to address issues that may affect the community.
Student interns worked with adult partners and youth leaders to harness energy in preparing for the dialogue event. The process included building community capacity by training youth leadership teams and adult partners in the dialogue process. The leadership team then learned to facilitate the dialogue event. Members of the leadership team are an excellent resource for the community to turn to because they are prepared to facilitate dialogues in the future. Youth leaders are an important link in the dialogue process, and their newly developed skills strengthen the foundation for a sustainable future in Ainsworth.
The Ainsworth dialogue was a great success, due to the support of the community. The leadership team invited 23 community volunteers from five generations. Local business provided sponsorship for the event to help cover the cost of materials and food. During the event, the community volunteers talked among their own generations, as well as in intergenerational groups. Dialogue encouraged the exchange of ideas that lead to positive action in the community.
Volunteers in the event saw Ainsworth as a great place to live and come back to and shared many positive comments about Ainsworth. Primarily, promoting Ainsworth became a major theme. Discussion covered broad topics, and volunteers discussed the larger current trends that impact local decisions. Most importantly, all generations discussed the possibilities for making things better for the community and creating a sustainable future.
Due to the success of this first dialogue, DAN returned in the summer of 2006 to host a second dialogue. With the help of DAN, Ainsworth has been able to maintain the momentum needed to create positive community change. The youth leaders have continued to use the dialogues to springboard numerous other projects in the area. The staff of DAN continue to wish Ainsworth and its outstanding residents the very best.
- Regional Point of Contact
Dewey Teel, University of Nebraska, Lincoln Extension Office
- Adult Partners
Linda O'Hare
Pam Bauer
- Youth Leadership Team
Lane Carr
Samantha Johnson
Kristen Erthum
Chris Bartak
Chelsey Allen
Jennifer Lyons
Heather Lyons
- Student Interns
Jill Goetz
Matt Habrock
Coleman Outhet
Greg Schwanke
Kyla Wize
- Community Sponsors
Elks Lodge
Ainsworth Area Chamber of Commerce
KBR Extension
- Rural Initiative Support
Dr. Sandra Sattler Weber, Director DAN
Kim Peterson , Coordinator, Nebraska Rural Initiative
- Photo Gallery
