IU to Kick Off Inaugural Rural Conference

The paid parental leave policy will begin July 1.

Indiana University will host its inaugural Rural Conference Monday and Tuesday at the French Lick Springs Resort. The conference, organized by the IU Center for Rural Engagement, will offer sessions on more than 100 initiatives and projects focused on rural communities. 

The university says sessions will span health, quality of place, and resilience, including recent water quality and mapping initiatives with Indiana Geological and Water Survey and the Hoosier Resilience Index, developed by IU’s Environmental Resilience Institute.  

"The conference will bring an expansive view of the opportunities and challenges of our rural communities, and pair those with specific, action-focused information to empower residents across the region," said Kerry Thomson, executive director of the IU Center for Rural Engagement, in a news release.

Keynote speakers at the conference will include Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, IU Bloomington Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel and Indiana Youth Institute Vice President Charlie Geier.