{"id":5,"date":"2018-06-21T17:40:30","date_gmt":"2018-06-21T17:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.eou.edu\/urban-rural\/?page_id=5"},"modified":"2026-02-06T21:14:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T21:14:46","slug":"urban-rural-ambassadors-program","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/urban-rural\/","title":{"rendered":"Urban-Rural Ambassadors Summer Institute"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Urban-Rural Ambassadors
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Discover what Oregon communities have in common and what makes them different<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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In-person weekend series: Next offering in Spring Term 2026<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Urban Rural Ambassadors is an immersive field-based class created jointly by the state\u2019s rural university – Eastern Oregon University – and the state\u2019s urban university – Portland State University. It is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Eastern Oregon University or Portland State University in any major or program. Students with an interest in community development, environmental management, political science, public administration, urban planning, and more have taken this class. The class is also open to any member of the public wishing to take the class as a non-degree student through EOU<\/a> or PSU<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organized by the Rural Engagement and Vitality Center<\/u><\/a> in La Grande and the National Policy Consensus Center<\/u><\/a> in Portland, in this three-credit class, students learn about commonalities and differences across Oregon communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This perspective builds a critical framework for understanding the nuances of working across the state\u2019s urban-rural \u201cdivide.\u201d Students will participate in panel discussions, attend lectures from diverse elected officials and community leaders, and build relationships with people across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn more!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To register, students should contact their academic advisor or course faculty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Who to contact about URA<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Support the program!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To support this program, make a contribution via the EOU Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Support URA<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Advancing solutions for the state<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Urban Oregon and rural Oregon share many public challenges, such as environmental health, housing, and climate change, though the geographic and policy context, and the requisite strategies, may often be quite different. Oregon\u2019s capacity to address important public issues is, in large part, dependent upon the ability of the state\u2019s urban and rural interests to work together, and \u2013 where there are important differences \u2013 to work through those differences for the common good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media about the Urban-Rural Ambassadors Institute <\/h3>\n\n\n\n