Indiana University’s Center for Rural Engagement has partnered with Brown County to help support projects that will advance the county through the center’s Sustaining Hoosiers Communities program. This will be during the 2026-27 school year.
In the program, IU faculty and students collaborate with a rural community in Indiana to help address issues rural communities face. Issues could be related to health care, housing, childcare, or safer pedestrian infrastructure, said Kyla Cox Deckard, the center’s interim executive director.
Deckard said Brown County residents have expressed concerns around access to health care, interests in expanding their arts and culture, and continual support and resources for their school system.
“With this partnership, we have the opportunity to elevate the wonderful activities that Brown County has and the great assets that they bring to the table, while also supporting them in developing new initiatives and opportunities to support their residents,” she said.
There will be listening sessions in February to help develop potential projects by giving an opportunity for the community partners and members to speak about their goals and concerns for Brown County. Listening sessions are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Seasons Lodge Event Center in Nashville, and at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at Van Buren Elementary School.
“So we follow the community's lead,” Deckard said. “The community decides what projects it would like to put forward, and then we do the work to pair our faculty and students on campus with those projects as they align.”
Additionally, county officials are looking at using some of the revenue obtained through their innkeepers tax to apply it to these upcoming projects. Brown County has about 15,600 residents but it has about two million visitors each year, Deckard said.
Brown County is the seventh county to collaborate with the Sustaining Hoosier Communities program.