Mentoring Rural Youth for Civic Engagement

Shackelford, T. J., Cline, L. L., & Robinson, J. S. (2025). Developing leadership capacity in a rural, farm-dependent community. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 40(1), 50–63.

Introduction

Rural counties are seeing critical gaps in civic leadership, driven by shrinking populations and a loss of young people after high school. Recognizing the urgency, Shakelford and colleagues (2025)  sought to identify both the competencies rural youth need to participate in local leadership, and the capacities adult mentors must develop to support them.

Grounded in human and social capital theory, the study emphasizes the importance of education, skill-building, and intergenerational relationships for community vitality. The authors position mentoring—particularly youth-adult partnerships—as a powerful strategy to not only retain youth but also prepare them to become the next generation of civic leaders.

Methods

To uncover the knowledge and skills necessary for youth civic engagement and adult mentorship, the authors engaged in community-based participatory research, developing a panel of community members composed of 24 local leaders, including educators, religious leaders, business owners, and community volunteers. Using snowball sampling, the team ensured a diverse group reflective of the county’s demographics.

In Round One, participants responded to two open-ended questions about the competencies youth and mentors need. This yielded 99 raw statements, which were thematically categorized into 12 domains using in vivo coding. In Round Two, participants rated each item on a six-point scale of importance. Items achieving at least 75% agreement at the “high” or “highest” levels were retained for Round Three. In the final round, participants prioritized statements within each thematic domain using a rank-order process.

Seventeen panelists completed all three rounds, and reliability was established through a consistent core group of 13 participants across rounds.

Results

The study yielded 35 prioritized items across six thematic areas describing the competencies youth need for civic leadership: civics, communications, critical thinking and problem solving, cultural competence, decision-making, and leadership. Of particular note, “listen actively” and “understand morality in decision-making” received 100% consensus and ranked highest in importance. Other top-ranked items included being open-minded and knowing what is happening in one’s community.

For adult mentors, 56 items were identified across six domains: coaching, ethics and values, leadership capacity, community engagement, personal behaviors, and youth partnerships. Key mentor skills included helping youth set goals, leading with humility, being respectful and encouraging, and fostering positive relationships. The highest-rated mentoring competencies were “have integrity,” “set a positive example,” and “adapt mentorship based on maturity levels.”

Across both youth and adult domains, two competencies emerged as critical for both groups: listening actively and communicating across generations.

Discussion

Panelists emphasized relational and behavioral skills over technical or academic knowledge. The prominence of communication, moral reasoning, and interpersonal awareness reflects a community-oriented view of leadership. Interestingly, while many items received high consensus in Round Two, they were deprioritized in Round Three. This suggests potential uncertainty among participants about how or by whom certain skills should be taught.

The authors also highlight systemic challenges such as lack of leadership pathways through traditional civic organizations (e.g., Rotary Club). 

Implications for Mentoring Programs

This study provides an actionable blueprint for mentoring initiatives in rural settings. Programs should integrate civic skill-building with intentional intergenerational relationships. Schools, particularly those with agricultural education or family and consumer science curricula, are promising venues for program development. 

Importantly, mentoring models should be adapted to reflect local culture and capacity. Rather than importing one-size-fits-all programs, communities should develop youth curriculum aligned with the specific competencies identified here. Community-based participatory methods may be useful in ensuring the mentoring program goals and practices align with community needs.

The full article is found here