Nik Ramstad

Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program

The mission of the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program is to increase the capacity of rural communities to improve their economic, social, and environmental conditions, through the assistance of trained graduate-level members who live and work in communities for 11 months. Members assist communities and agencies in the development and implementation of plans for achieving a sustainable natural resource base and improving rural economic conditions while gaining community building and leadership skills. The RARE AmeriCorps Program has been empowering rural Oregon leaders since 1994 and has placed more than 500 members in every county in the state. RARE is an AmeriCorps program administered through the University of Oregon's Institute for Policy Research and Engagement, charged with linking the skills, expertise, and innovation of higher education with the economic development and environmental needs of communities and regions in the State of Oregon. Through the service-learning programs provided by IPRE, RARE AmeriCorps members gain important service and professional experience by helping to solve community and regional development issues.