Visit to Marienberg

The US Census Bureau defines rural as “any population, housing, or territory not in an urban area”, which can be understood that rural is everything else. Rural land covers 72% of the United States, but only represents 14% of the population. In reality, rural perspectives and identities contribute to the overall unity of the US. It was a great comparative discussion. Because students at the Gymnasium Marienberg are from small, rural towns in the Erzgebirge, they were able to contribute their own experiences to rural community values and identity. The students realized similarities in the challenges that small towns in the US and Germany face. Together, we were able to come up with a profile for their community, identified challenges, and brainstormed some ideas for the future.