Working with Rural Communities

With a population of just over 20,000 people, Plumas County is not only classified as “rural,” but also is one of the few remaining “frontier” counties in California. The county is known for breath-taking views of forests, streams, and lakes. Nestled within the county's 2,618 square miles of natural beauty are several distinct rural communities, with people and cultures as vibrant as the landscape. Since 1993, Sierra Institute has been developing and facilitating processes which promote rural community advancement and improve the lives and well-being of rural residents. We continue to work hard to identify and address socioeconomic issues in rural communities by creating and supporting programs that yield sustainable community benefits.

Current Efforts

Health Program

Sierra Institute's Health efforts are headed by our Health Care Program Associate. The Health Program encompasses wide-ranging initiatives that include the YEAH! program aimed at increasing healthy lifestyles among rural teens, the Northern Sierra Collaborative Health Network- an alliance to improve coordination and health services across Plumas and Sierra Counties, and the Community Health Assessement. Working with partners, we seek to collaboratively improve the quality of health care rural citizens have access to.

Greenville Jr./Sr. High School Natural Resources Academy

Working with teachers and administrators from GHS, Sierra Institute helped to launch a Natural Resource Academy that connects the outdoors and field-based projects with classroom work. This project will develop a comprehensive field program for 7th through 12th grade students, focusing on establishing long-term stewardship and watershed monitoring sites in Indian Valley.

Center of Forestry

The Sierra Institute's Center of Forestry hosts a number of educational tours each summer focusing on the complex relationships between natural resources and rural communities throughout the northern Sierra Nevada. These outdoor tours offer an opportunity to get off the beaten path and explore a mix of people, places, and projects in the region.

Friday Night for Teens

In partnership with the Indian Valley Recreation and Parks Department, Sierra Institute has begun to host Friday Night for Teens at the Greenville Community Recreation Center. This program provides a positive atmosphere for teens to spend a Friday night.