Rally rags waved high in Dublin recently as more than 700 people from across the state converged at the Celebrating Rural Georgia Conference. The three-day event included 30 workshops in the DuBose Porter Business and Industry Training Center on the campus of the Heart of Georgia Technical College. The Georgia Rural Development Council and a steering committee of nearly two dozen organizations planned the conference.

Even the rain and cloudy skies could not damper the enthusiasm and spirit of participants who clapped and cheered at a Rally Rural Georgia pep rally featuring the West Laurens High School cheerleaders and marching band at the end of the opening session.

Participants talked about recent successes in the state's rural communities and highlighted best practices that have proven results. Attendees discussed regional collaborations that are promoting rural Georgia's assets such as agriculture and tourism. Recurring themes included using technology to increase knowledge and opportunities in rural communities, continuing "smart growth" initiatives, and improving transportation, education, and family well-being.

Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, chairman of the Council, and Commissioner Laura Meadows of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, were keynote speakers. Family Connection collaborative members attended, along with Family Connection Partnership staff. The Partnership co-sponsored the event with dozens of other organizations.

Other highlights included Georgia Rural Development Council's announcement of a new partnership with the Georgia Arts Council and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government's Study on Poverty report, which illuminates the Southeast region of the U.S. as an area of persistent poverty over the past three decades. For more information on this report, visit www.cviog.uga.edu/poverty/.