RURAL AMERICA: A Treasure of ASSETS
February 12, 2024
music teacher plants roots in rural nebraska town
By Jennie Blizzard, Fed Communities
Residents who grow up in rural communities often eventually move away. But that’s not the case for Doug Erb, a music teacher in Stuart, Nebraska. He intentionally chose to work, raise his family, and build community in a smaller town. Originally from rural Orchard, Nebraska, where his family owned a grocery store, Doug developed an interest in music. It contributed to his career choice and where he wanted to live. “When I was in school, I went through quite a few music teachers and that pushed my interest in becoming a music teacher,” he said. “When I was looking for jobs, I was actually looking for a smaller community to help build a music program because there was such high turnover of music educators.”
This decision was harder because he had to find affordable housing in a rural community. When Doug and his wife moved to Stuart in 2023, few rentals were available. But the Central Nebraska Economic Development District and other community partners had built a rental duplex. Rents there were based on income. Three years later, he moved from renting a duplex to owning his first home. “We toured a house and decided to move forward with some financial help from the community development community,” said Doug. “They helped us with a down payment assistance loan. And if we stayed in our home for 10 years, half of that assistance would be forgiven.”
“It’s often on a small community’s mind how we can keep growing and growing.” – Doug Erb
Coming together to build and advance community
In addition to his commitment to music education in Stuart, Doug became involved in the town’s Brain Builders Society (BBS). BBS focuses on youth development and is helping to build a child development center in the town. “We felt the center would be a major draw to bring people here,” Doug says. “There were meetings to which the entire community was invited to figure out what we need to do to try to get more people to move back and stay. It’s often on a small community’s mind how we can grow and keep growing.”
Doug said that he also recognized that living in a small community encourages a sense of appreciation and teamwork because conveniences like retail, grocery stores, and entertainment venues aren’t easily accessible. When the town put up its first movie theater, farmers donated popcorn and volunteers worked together to keep the venue running. “There’s a call coming from our small towns where we need people, and we need them to help work and be a part of these communities,” he said. “Being a part of a small town is like being a part of a larger family.”
