Discuss push and pull factors and how they are used to explain migration and population change in rural communities. What push and pull factors are most impacting the rural communities in southwest Arkansas? What, if anything, can be done to reduce the impact of these factors on our communities and prevent a "brain drain" form occurring in our area?

How do factors of gender, race, and ethnicity shape poverty in rural America and Arkansas? What does poverty look like in Arkansas and the country? How do these difference impact possible solutions to the problem of persistent rural poverty?