**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE GOAL OF THIS INTEGRATED RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROJECT IS TO BUILD PROSPERITY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES BY ENGAGING STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS THROUGH ENGAGED WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, AND TO CREATE AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS THAT WILL GENERATE AND SUSTAIN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. OUR SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. TO PREPARE STUDENTS TO SERVE AS THE NEXT GENERATION OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS TO BUILD CAPACITY AND RURAL PROSPERITY. 2. TO SERVE RURAL COMMUNITIES BY BUILDING A PIPELINE OF TALENT THAT FOCUSES ON THE REVITALIZATION OF RURAL AMERICA. 3. TO IMPROVE UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS BY BUILDING AN UNDERSTANDING OF AN INTEGRATED RESEARCH/ENGAGEMENT MODEL AS A MECHANISM FOR IMPLEMENTING COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING. THIS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR 40 STUDENTS, RECRUITED FROM AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, COMMUNITY AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, COLLEGE OF DESIGN, KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY, AND SURROUNDING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN BOTH SERVICE LEARNING-BASED STUDY TOURS AND AN INTERNSHIP IN RURAL KENTUCKY. THE INTERNATIONAL STUDY TOUR WILL FOCUS ON REVITALIZATION THROUGH DESIGN AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN SCOTLAND AND THE DOMESTIC TOUR (CHATTANOOGA) WILL PROVIDE A DOMESTIC COMPARISON.