A Place Worth Believing In

An upcoming creative piece that tells the story of how believing that Mercer County was a place worth believing in sparked hope that fed momentum.

In a rural Illinois county of just 15,000 people, an idea began to take shape.

What started as an effort to tell the stories of Mercer County grew into something much bigger—a new way of thinking about community vitality, rural opportunity, and the places we call home.

Through years of community conversations, research, storytelling, and experimentation, one thing became increasingly clear: rural communities don't necessarily need to become something different to thrive. Sometimes, they simply need to recognize the possibilities already within them.

That experience became the inspiration for A Place Worth Believing In.

Inspired by one rural Illinois county.
Written for communities everywhere.