Ages 6-16 · Book 2, Belonging · 4,299 places
Rural and Small-Town Isolation
When the nearest child who shares your one thing is ninety miles away, the room cannot be changed and the child still can be reached.
Built on Ellis Abel and the Scary Playground — “Being brave means showing up anyway.” A character series, not a curriculum with a worldview attached.
The five sessions
- Session 1
Read the story and stop where he is standing on the edge of it
- Session 2
Say out loud what being the different one feels like here
- Session 3
Find the moment he goes in before the scared part has gone
- Session 4
Each child picks ONE person, not the whole group
- Session 5
One question to ask that person before the next session
Questions leaders ask
Is rural and small-town isolation in your area a religious program?
No. Ellis Abel is a character series. Each volume carries one named core value — this one is belonging — and the story does the teaching. There is no doctrine in it, nothing to opt out of, and it is used in public schools, libraries and secular programs as readily as anywhere else.
What ages does this work for?
Ages 6-16. The story is read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet is fully in it, and the discussion prompts are written in two bands so one adult can hold a mixed-age room.
Will this work for the children in your area who need it most?
It is built to. Participation is allowed to look different — listening from the edge of the room counts, and so does leaving early. Nothing in the session requires reading, speaking, or sitting still to take part.
Where do we start if we have never run anything like this?
One child and one adult who keeps the pairing. Not a program. Build the good half-hour for that child first, and let the second family hear about it from the first.
The rules that make it work
It is a character story, not a social skills assessment
No child is scored, graded or sorted into a social tier. The room gets shared language and a move to practise, and nothing about a child is recorded.
Never make the left-out child the project
A program that visibly organises itself around one child has told the whole room who that child is. Everything here is run for everyone.
One person, not the whole group
Joining a group is the hardest version of the task and the one children are always told to do. One person, chosen beforehand, is the version that works.
Difference is the asset, said plainly
Not "everyone is special", which children correctly hear as nothing. The specific thing that makes this child the odd one out is named, and then used.
Adults go first
An adult describing their own time at the fence gives permission that no amount of encouragement does.
Ask the new child whether it worked
Not the volunteers, not the popular children, not the staff. The person who was alone is the only reliable measure of whether a belonging program works.
Rural Isolation by metro area
Northeast
- Rural Isolation — New York, NY
- Rural Isolation — Philadelphia, PA
- Rural Isolation — Boston, MA
- Rural Isolation — Pittsburgh, PA
- Rural Isolation — Providence, RI
- Rural Isolation — Hartford, CT
- Rural Isolation — Buffalo, NY
- Rural Isolation — Rochester, NY
- Rural Isolation — Bridgeport, CT
- Rural Isolation — Albany, NY
- Rural Isolation — Worcester, MA
- Rural Isolation — Allentown, PA
- Rural Isolation — Poughkeepsie metro area, NY
- Rural Isolation — Syracuse, NY
- Rural Isolation — Harrisburg, PA
- Rural Isolation — New Haven, CT
- Rural Isolation — Portland, ME
- Rural Isolation — Scranton, PA
- Rural Isolation — Lancaster, PA
- Rural Isolation — York, PA
- Rural Isolation — Springfield, MA
- Rural Isolation — Waterbury, CT
- Rural Isolation — Reading, PA
- Rural Isolation — Manchester, NH
- Rural Isolation — Trenton, NJ
- Rural Isolation — Atlantic City, NJ
- Rural Isolation — Utica, NY
- Rural Isolation — Norwich, CT
- Rural Isolation — Erie, PA
- Rural Isolation — Binghamton, NY
- Rural Isolation — Barnstable, MA
- Rural Isolation — Burlington, VT
- Rural Isolation — Kingston, NY
- Rural Isolation — Amherst, MA
- Rural Isolation — Chambersburg, PA
- Rural Isolation — Bangor, ME
- Rural Isolation — State College, PA
- Rural Isolation — Vineland, NJ
- Rural Isolation — Lebanon, PA
- Rural Isolation — Johnstown, PA
- Rural Isolation — Pittsfield, MA
- Rural Isolation — Glens Falls, NY
- Rural Isolation — Altoona, PA
- Rural Isolation — Lewiston, ME
- Rural Isolation — Williamsport, PA
- Rural Isolation — Watertown, NY
- Rural Isolation — Gettysburg, PA
- Rural Isolation — Ithaca, NY
- Rural Isolation — Elmira, NY
Midwest
- Rural Isolation — Chicago, IL
- Rural Isolation — Detroit, MI
- Rural Isolation — Minneapolis, MN
- Rural Isolation — St. Louis, MO
- Rural Isolation — Cincinnati, OH
- Rural Isolation — Kansas City, MO
- Rural Isolation — Columbus, OH
- Rural Isolation — Indianapolis, IN
- Rural Isolation — Cleveland, OH
- Rural Isolation — Milwaukee, WI
- Rural Isolation — Grand Rapids, MI
- Rural Isolation — Omaha, NE
- Rural Isolation — Dayton, OH
- Rural Isolation — Des Moines, IA
- Rural Isolation — Madison, WI
- Rural Isolation — Akron, OH
- Rural Isolation — Wichita, KS
- Rural Isolation — Toledo, OH
- Rural Isolation — Springfield, MO
- Rural Isolation — Lansing, MI
- Rural Isolation — Fort Wayne, IN
- Rural Isolation — Youngstown, OH
- Rural Isolation — Flint, MI
- Rural Isolation — Canton, OH
- Rural Isolation — Davenport, IA
- Rural Isolation — Ann Arbor, MI
- Rural Isolation — Peoria, IL
- Rural Isolation — Lincoln, NE
- Rural Isolation — Rockford, IL
- Rural Isolation — Green Bay, WI
- Rural Isolation — South Bend, IN
- Rural Isolation — Sioux Falls, SD
- Rural Isolation — Duluth, MN
- Rural Isolation — Cedar Rapids, IA
- Rural Isolation — Evansville, IN
- Rural Isolation — Fargo, ND
- Rural Isolation — Kalamazoo, MI
- Rural Isolation — Appleton, WI
- Rural Isolation — Champaign, IL
- Rural Isolation — Topeka, KS
- Rural Isolation — Rochester, MN
- Rural Isolation — Lafayette, IN
- Rural Isolation — Columbia, MO
- Rural Isolation — Joplin, MO
- Rural Isolation — Elkhart, IN
- Rural Isolation — Springfield, IL
- Rural Isolation — St. Cloud, MN
- Rural Isolation — Racine, WI
- Rural Isolation — Saginaw, MI
- Rural Isolation — Iowa City, IA
- Rural Isolation — Muskegon, MI
- Rural Isolation — Eau Claire, WI
- Rural Isolation — Oshkosh, WI
- Rural Isolation — Bloomington, IL
- Rural Isolation — La Crosse, WI
- Rural Isolation — Terre Haute, IN
- Rural Isolation — Waterloo, IA
- Rural Isolation — Kenosha, WI
- Rural Isolation — Janesville, WI
- Rural Isolation — Bloomington, IN
- Rural Isolation — Jackson, MI
- Rural Isolation — Traverse City, MI
- Rural Isolation — Rapid City, SD
- Rural Isolation — Monroe, MI
- Rural Isolation — Jefferson City, MO
- Rural Isolation — Niles, MI
- Rural Isolation — Sioux City, IA
- Rural Isolation — Bismarck, ND
- Rural Isolation — Wausau, WI
- Rural Isolation — Manhattan, KS
- Rural Isolation — Springfield, OH
- Rural Isolation — Battle Creek, MI
- Rural Isolation — Ames, IA
- Rural Isolation — Mansfield, OH
- Rural Isolation — Lawrence, KS
- Rural Isolation — St. Joseph, MO
- Rural Isolation — Sheboygan, WI
- Rural Isolation — Muncie, IN
- Rural Isolation — Sandusky, OH
- Rural Isolation — Michigan City, IN
- Rural Isolation — Kankakee, IL
- Rural Isolation — Grand Forks, ND
- Rural Isolation — Mankato, MN
- Rural Isolation — Fond du Lac, WI
- Rural Isolation — Bay City, MI
- Rural Isolation — Lima, OH
- Rural Isolation — Dubuque, IA
- Rural Isolation — Decatur, IL
- Rural Isolation — Cape Girardeau, MO
- Rural Isolation — Columbus, IN
- Rural Isolation — Kokomo, IN
- Rural Isolation — Midland, MI
- Rural Isolation — Grand Island, NE
- Rural Isolation — Minot, ND
South
- Rural Isolation — Dallas, TX
- Rural Isolation — Houston, TX
- Rural Isolation — Atlanta, GA
- Rural Isolation — Washington, DC
- Rural Isolation — Miami, FL
- Rural Isolation — Tampa, FL
- Rural Isolation — Orlando, FL
- Rural Isolation — Charlotte, NC
- Rural Isolation — Baltimore, MD
- Rural Isolation — San Antonio, TX
- Rural Isolation — Austin, TX
- Rural Isolation — Nashville, TN
- Rural Isolation — Virginia Beach, VA
- Rural Isolation — Jacksonville, FL
- Rural Isolation — Raleigh, NC
- Rural Isolation — Oklahoma City, OK
- Rural Isolation — Louisville, KY
- Rural Isolation — Richmond, VA
- Rural Isolation — Memphis, TN
- Rural Isolation — Birmingham, AL
- Rural Isolation — Tulsa, OK
- Rural Isolation — Greenville, SC
- Rural Isolation — New Orleans, LA
- Rural Isolation — Knoxville, TN
- Rural Isolation — Sarasota metro area, FL
- Rural Isolation — McAllen, TX
- Rural Isolation — Charleston, SC
- Rural Isolation — Baton Rouge, LA
- Rural Isolation — El Paso, TX
- Rural Isolation — Columbia, SC
- Rural Isolation — Cape Coral, FL
- Rural Isolation — Lakeland, FL
- Rural Isolation — Greensboro, NC
- Rural Isolation — Little Rock, AR
- Rural Isolation — Deltona, FL
- Rural Isolation — Winston-Salem, NC
- Rural Isolation — Palm Bay, FL
- Rural Isolation — Augusta, GA
- Rural Isolation — Durham, NC
- Rural Isolation — Fayetteville, AR
- Rural Isolation — Jackson, MS
- Rural Isolation — Chattanooga, TN
- Rural Isolation — Port St. Lucie, FL
- Rural Isolation — Huntsville, AL
- Rural Isolation — Pensacola, FL
- Rural Isolation — Lexington, KY
- Rural Isolation — Killeen, TX
- Rural Isolation — Wilmington, NC
- Rural Isolation — Corpus Christi, TX
- Rural Isolation — Ocala, FL
- Rural Isolation — Savannah, GA
- Rural Isolation — Brownsville, TX
- Rural Isolation — Gulfport, MS
- Rural Isolation — Myrtle Beach, SC
- Rural Isolation — Lafayette, LA
- Rural Isolation — Asheville, NC
- Rural Isolation — Naples, FL
- Rural Isolation — Mobile, AL
- Rural Isolation — Spartanburg, SC
- Rural Isolation — Beaumont, TX
- Rural Isolation — Tallahassee, FL
- Rural Isolation — Fayetteville, NC
- Rural Isolation — Montgomery, AL
- Rural Isolation — Shreveport, LA
- Rural Isolation — Hickory, NC
- Rural Isolation — Lubbock, TX
- Rural Isolation — Huntington, WV
- Rural Isolation — Gainesville, FL
- Rural Isolation — Clarksville, TN
- Rural Isolation — Columbus, GA
- Rural Isolation — Roanoke, VA
- Rural Isolation — Hagerstown, MD
- Rural Isolation — Fort Walton Beach metro area, FL
- Rural Isolation — Kingsport, TN
- Rural Isolation — Waco, TX
- Rural Isolation — Longview, TX
- Rural Isolation — College Station, TX
- Rural Isolation — Tuscaloosa, AL
- Rural Isolation — Laredo, TX
- Rural Isolation — Slidell, LA
- Rural Isolation — Amarillo, TX
- Rural Isolation — Lynchburg, VA
- Rural Isolation — Daphne, AL
- Rural Isolation — Tyler, TX
- Rural Isolation — Lake Charles, LA
- Rural Isolation — Hilton Head Island, SC
- Rural Isolation — Macon, GA
- Rural Isolation — Fort Smith, AR
- Rural Isolation — Panama City, FL
- Rural Isolation — Charlottesville, VA
- Rural Isolation — Gainesville, GA
- Rural Isolation — Athens, GA
- Rural Isolation — Monroe, LA
- Rural Isolation — Punta Gorda, FL
- Rural Isolation — Jacksonville, NC
- Rural Isolation — Johnson City, TN
- Rural Isolation — Lexington Park, MD
- Rural Isolation — Warner Robins, GA
- Rural Isolation — Auburn, AL
- Rural Isolation — Florence, SC
- Rural Isolation — Charleston, WV
- Rural Isolation — Houma, LA
- Rural Isolation — Bowling Green, KY
- Rural Isolation — Dover, DE
- Rural Isolation — Midland, TX
- Rural Isolation — Burlington, NC
- Rural Isolation — Abilene, TX
- Rural Isolation — Jackson, TN
- Rural Isolation — Greenville, NC
- Rural Isolation — Blacksburg, VA
- Rural Isolation — Odessa, TX
- Rural Isolation — Vero Beach metro area, FL
- Rural Isolation — Homosassa Springs, FL
- Rural Isolation — Decatur, AL
- Rural Isolation — Hattiesburg, MS
- Rural Isolation — The Villages metro area, FL
- Rural Isolation — Florence, AL
- Rural Isolation — Dothan, AL
- Rural Isolation — Sherman, TX
- Rural Isolation — Valdosta, GA
- Rural Isolation — Winchester, VA
- Rural Isolation — Wichita Falls, TX
- Rural Isolation — Rocky Mount, NC
- Rural Isolation — Alexandria, LA
- Rural Isolation — Dalton, GA
- Rural Isolation — Texarkana, TX
- Rural Isolation — Albany, GA
- Rural Isolation — Morgantown, WV
- Rural Isolation — Hammond, LA
- Rural Isolation — Harrisonburg, VA
- Rural Isolation — Jonesboro, AR
- Rural Isolation — Wheeling, WV
- Rural Isolation — Cleveland, TN
- Rural Isolation — Salisbury, MD
- Rural Isolation — Staunton, VA
- Rural Isolation — Morristown, TN
- Rural Isolation — Elizabethtown, KY
- Rural Isolation — Lawton, OK
- Rural Isolation — Goldsboro, NC
- Rural Isolation — San Angelo, TX
- Rural Isolation — Brunswick, GA
- Rural Isolation — Anniston, AL
- Rural Isolation — Owensboro, KY
- Rural Isolation — Steubenville, WV
- Rural Isolation — Sebring, FL
- Rural Isolation — Pinehurst, NC
- Rural Isolation — Beckley, WV
- Rural Isolation — Sumter, SC
- Rural Isolation — Gadsden, AL
- Rural Isolation — Paducah, KY
- Rural Isolation — Rome, GA
- Rural Isolation — Victoria, TX
- Rural Isolation — Hot Springs, AR
- Rural Isolation — Hinesville, GA
- Rural Isolation — Parkersburg, WV
- Rural Isolation — Enid, OK
- Rural Isolation — Eagle Pass, TX
West
- Rural Isolation — Los Angeles, CA
- Rural Isolation — Phoenix, AZ
- Rural Isolation — Riverside, CA
- Rural Isolation — San Francisco, CA
- Rural Isolation — Seattle, WA
- Rural Isolation — San Diego, CA
- Rural Isolation — Denver, CO
- Rural Isolation — Portland, OR
- Rural Isolation — Sacramento, CA
- Rural Isolation — Las Vegas, NV
- Rural Isolation — San Jose, CA
- Rural Isolation — Salt Lake City, UT
- Rural Isolation — Fresno, CA
- Rural Isolation — Tucson, AZ
- Rural Isolation — Honolulu, HI
- Rural Isolation — Bakersfield, CA
- Rural Isolation — Albuquerque, NM
- Rural Isolation — Boise, ID
- Rural Isolation — Oxnard, CA
- Rural Isolation — Stockton, CA
- Rural Isolation — Colorado Springs, CO
- Rural Isolation — Provo, UT
- Rural Isolation — Ogden, UT
- Rural Isolation — Spokane, WA
- Rural Isolation — Reno, NV
- Rural Isolation — Modesto, CA
- Rural Isolation — Santa Rosa, CA
- Rural Isolation — Visalia, CA
- Rural Isolation — Vallejo, CA
- Rural Isolation — Salem, OR
- Rural Isolation — Santa Maria, CA
- Rural Isolation — Salinas, CA
- Rural Isolation — Anchorage, AK
- Rural Isolation — Eugene, OR
- Rural Isolation — Greeley, CO
- Rural Isolation — Fort Collins, CO
- Rural Isolation — Boulder, CO
- Rural Isolation — Kennewick, WA
- Rural Isolation — Olympia, WA
- Rural Isolation — Merced, CA
- Rural Isolation — Bremerton, WA
- Rural Isolation — San Luis Obispo, CA
- Rural Isolation — Bend, OR
- Rural Isolation — Yakima, WA
- Rural Isolation — Santa Cruz, CA
- Rural Isolation — Prescott metro area, AZ
- Rural Isolation — Bellingham, WA
- Rural Isolation — Las Cruces, NM
- Rural Isolation — Lake Havasu City, AZ
- Rural Isolation — Yuma, AZ
- Rural Isolation — Medford, OR
- Rural Isolation — St. George, UT
- Rural Isolation — Chico, CA
- Rural Isolation — Billings, MT
- Rural Isolation — Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Rural Isolation — Yuba City, CA
- Rural Isolation — Redding, CA
- Rural Isolation — El Centro, CA
- Rural Isolation — Idaho Falls, ID
- Rural Isolation — Pueblo, CO
- Rural Isolation — Grand Junction, CO
- Rural Isolation — Logan, UT
- Rural Isolation — Maui, HI
- Rural Isolation — Santa Fe, NM
- Rural Isolation — Hanford, CA
- Rural Isolation — Flagstaff, AZ
- Rural Isolation — Mount Vernon, WA
- Rural Isolation — Napa, CA
- Rural Isolation — Albany, OR
- Rural Isolation — Bozeman, MT
- Rural Isolation — Missoula, MT
- Rural Isolation — Wenatchee, WA
- Rural Isolation — Sierra Vista, AZ
- Rural Isolation — Twin Falls, ID
- Rural Isolation — Farmington, NM
- Rural Isolation — Longview, WA
- Rural Isolation — Cheyenne, WY
- Rural Isolation — Corvallis, OR
- Rural Isolation — Helena, MT
- Rural Isolation — Fairbanks, AK
- Rural Isolation — Pocatello, ID
- Rural Isolation — Grants Pass, OR
- Rural Isolation — Great Falls, MT
- Rural Isolation — Casper, WY
- Rural Isolation — Lewiston, ID
- Rural Isolation — Walla Walla, WA
- Rural Isolation — Carson City, NV
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