Are millennials moving out of your town?

I recently read where millennials are moving in droves from small rural towns to the big cities in search of a well-paying job and excitement. Face it, what can a 23-year old do in most small towns? Not much.

One way to retain youth in your community is to get them involved early on. Small town leaders across the country are seeing the benefit. For instance, Greensboro, N.C. was the first city to create a youth council. It has been copied by cities 'round the world. Here, youth work with community leaders and the city council to create activities for kids so they learn skills which will help them through life - leadership, organization, fundraising, etc.

I am a fan of small town boards creating a shadow organization of local students. They actually participate in local government activities. They may have a non-voting seat on the town board. However you want to frame it, the kids get buy-in early on to help grow their community.

MARKETING TIP: Large companies look for places to locate which offer a good quality of life. One aspect is youth involvement and leadership.