ECS to Host First National Summit on Rural Education and Economic Development

Leaders from 37 states and territories will come together to improve rural economies

DENVER, May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Education Commission of the States (ECS), in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Education, will host the first National Summit on the Role of Education in Economic Development in Rural America, May 4 in Washington, D.C.

The Summit will bring together a broad base of influential leaders and policymakers in education and economic development including U.S. agency officials, state agency officials, state legislators, gubernatorial staff and local educators, as well as representatives from national and state organizations, colleges/universities and corporations.

Featured speakers at the Summit include U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor Jane Oates and White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra. The summit will include a mix of individual presentations, panel responses and small group discussions.

The Summit will feature cross-agency, statewide, regional and intergovernmental approaches to address the education and economic development challenges faced by rural America. It will provide a rare opportunity for participants to share their ideas with state and federal officials before they act on the reauthorization or creation of key policies.

The summit aims to improve rural economic development by:

1. Identifying successful models of partnership between education and economic development leaders in rural America.
2. Identifying key policy and legislative barriers at the federal, state and local levels and strategies to overcome them.
3. Providing recommendations for federal, state and local policies that could improve the opportunity for partnerships in rural America.

"ECS is proud to work on this important issue with the Departments of Agriculture and Education. Their cross-agency collaboration is a model and will serve to inspire state and local leaders to develop partnerships with education and the private sector," said Roger Sampson, ECS President.

Members of the media are invited to attend the event at the Washington Marriott, 1221 22nd St. NW. The event begins at 8:00 a.m. and runs until 3:30 p.m.

ECS is the only nationwide, nonpartisan interstate compact devoted to education. ECS helps governors, legislators, state education officials and others identify, develop and implement public policies to improve student learning at all levels. A nonprofit organization, ECS was formed in 1965 and is located in Denver, Colorado.

Equipping Education Leaders, Advancing Ideas

www.ecs.org

SOURCE Education Commission of the States