Rural Advisory Committee (RAC) 2024

What is RAC 2024?

The MACS Rural Advisory Committee (RAC) 2024 is involved in co-creating, organizing, and planning a robust 2030 Minnesota Census Outreach Plan. This initiative focuses on rural engagement and education recommendations reducing barriers to and increasing the accuracy of rural data.

RAC 2024 is made up of a variety of individuals from all over greater Minnesota who engage in economic development, arts and culture, environment/energy, philanthropy, local government, social services and more.

Work To Date

Three E’s:

Education,

Engagement,

Elimination of barriers

The Three E’s will be utilized as a guide as RAC 2024 identifies solutions to perceived and real barriers to participation in the collection of data, for both Census 2030 and the American Community Survey.  These three guides were chosen upon the committee’s understanding of the results of past surveys, exploring potential data issues, and speaking with a variety of data practitioners.

Committee Members/Affiliations

Tara Greer/City of Staples

Sergio Aguilera/Todd County

Julie Hinders/U of M Crookston

Nik Allen/CERTS

Sinda Nichols/Carleton College

Sammi Rowe/Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation

Burke Murphy/Renewing the Countryside

Ellen Wolter/U of M Extension

Luwaina Al-Otaibi/Department of Public Transformation

RAC 2024 is facilitated by Dawn Espe, Executive Director of The Sowing Room, with support from Region Five Development Commission.

Resources Reviewed:

The Rural Undercount, The Census Project

2020 Faces Census Challenges in Rural America, University of New Hampshire

Historic Census Self-Response Rates, CUNY Graduate Center

  • Held in Virginia, MN. 66.7% self-reported on the 2020 Census.

    The takeaway from this gathering was the Barriers Brainstorm document found below.

    RAC  Barriers Brainstorm.pdf


  • Held in Long Prairie, MN. 68.6% self-reported on the 2020 Census. 

    Primary documents to emerge are the Three E's below:

    Elimination of Barriers Brainstorm.pdf

    Education Brainstorming.pdf

    Engagement Brainstorm.pdf

  • Mahnomen, MN

    48.5% self-reported on the 2020 Census.

    Building on Three E’s Brainstorm - Goals and Action Steps

    RAC Goals and Action Steps - draft to be shared later

    • October 2024: Friends in the Field Community/Economic Development Practitioner Feedback

    • November 2024: Granite Falls, MN. 75.3% self-reported on the 2020 Census.

    • Community Feedback Gathering

    • FINAL REPORT: January 2025