Just a couple of generations ago, luggage was a common graduation gift for high school seniors in Greater Nebraska. The implied message: congratulations, you made it; now get out of this town and find somewhere to actually build a life. It was an invitation of sorts. An invitation to leave.
Times have changed. In many towns, luggage has been replaced by something more permanent: a mailbox. Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) affiliated funds in Howells, Atkinson, Eustis, McCook, Imperial, Shickley, and many others have adopted this tradition. Others don’t give mailboxes, opting for other gifts. The Pender-Thurston Education and Community Fund, for example, gives seniors a metal cut-out of Nebraska inscribed with a “There’s No Place Like Home” message. The gift is made by a local artist and accompanied by an invitation to return.
The Exeter Area Community Foundation Fund (EACFF) started giving mailboxes to graduating seniors in 2017, said Exeter-Milligan Public Schools Superintendent Paul Sheffield, who also serves on EACFF’s advisory committee. The boxes are decorated with the district’s timber wolf mascot, then the district art teacher personalizes the other side of each box with the student’s last name. Inside is a postcard reminding them they’ll always have a home in Exeter-Milligan.
According to Sheffield’s calculations, each class since 2017 has seen at least 10% of alumni return. Twenty-nine percent of the 2018 graduating class has returned to the Exeter area.
“Looking back, it was such a meaningful gift with a wonderful message,” said Kaitlyn Olsen, an elementary special education teacher and class of 2018 returner. “The school wanted us to know that we could always come home.”
Reminding young people that they are always welcome in their hometown is one of the most important things adults can do in their communities, Olsen said.
“Small towns thrive on connection, and inviting young people back helps keep that spirit alive,” she said. “There’s something invaluable about being close to family, having neighbors who truly care, and holding onto traditions that make a place feel like home.”
That warmth returns to those extending invitations.
“It does warm a person’s heart to know they want to come back and raise a family here,” Sheffield said. “In order for rural communities to survive, you need those kids come back.”
Blake Steuben, a 2019 graduate, recently bought a home in Milligan after a few years away – first in Council Bluffs while studying at Iowa Western, then in Lincoln, then in Clatonia. Every year he got a bit closer to home. He’s gained a newfound appreciation for his hometown and its quietness, clear skies, and friendly neighbors.
“It’s peaceful,” he said. “It’s a good life.”
Mailboxes are not the solution to brain drain. But as part of a larger culture of invitation, they provide an anchor of belonging. Across the Nebraska Community Foundation network, affiliated funds create opportunities for students through youth philanthropy councils or action committees. Higher levels of school attachment during adolescence may play a role in whether rural college graduates return to their hometowns, according to a 2022 study by researchers at Iowa State University’s College of Education. They found that graduates who reported higher levels of school attachment during their teenage years were more likely to return home. Many NCF affiliated funds are building that attachment.
“We want these kids to come back home,” said Hebron Community Fund’s (HCF) Kurk Weidel. “The way to get them back home is to get them involved in what we do.”
Hebron’s Youth Action Committee, a group of students from Thayer Central Community Schools, decided to focus their energies on revitalizing a local park. Weidel and other HCF advisory committee members wanted to give students a chance to engage in charitable work, but they didn’t want to delegate tasks. So, they gave the YAC freedom and flexibility to decide their priorities. Students chose to work in the park because they saw it as an overlooked community asset. By the time the revitalization is done, they will have added lighting, playground equipment, benches, and an entire pickleball facility.
McCook Community Foundation Fund’s Youth Change Reaction invites high schoolers to act on their dreams, resulting in drive-in movies, park amenities, and more. The Leigh Youth Advisory Committee is a group of students in grades 10–12 who care deeply about the community of Leigh and about community in general. The group considers itself the youth component of Leigh Legacy Fund. Keith County’s Youth Inspired Philanthropy contests empower young people to think of new ways to help their community shine.
Each of these efforts includes a vital component: an invitation to be seen and have their ideas seriously considered by local leaders. The ripple effects can be the key to a generation of people deciding Greater Nebraska is the place to pursue their biggest dreams.
“Always extend that invitation for kids to come back,” Sheffield said. “Have an open door.”
