This dissertation examined whether an urban–rural intergroup dialogue (IGD) curriculum intervention can improve participants’ (a) awareness of social identities, privilege, and oppression; (b) intergroup understanding and relationships; (c) strategies to engage and intervene; and (d) capacity to advance equity and justice for bridging the urban–rural divide. Urban–rural IGD was intended to increase individual and collective learning centered on participants’ social identities. Through six virtual sessions, participants explored and sought to grow their learning by cultivating an understanding of concepts related to urban–rural identity, individual/institutional oppression and privilege, and inclusive practices; developing skills for building inclusive communities, productive engagement across differences, and effective conflict management; and, finally, engaging in experiential learning that promotes development centered on social justice and inclusion. To understand the breadth and depth of their urban–rural IGD learning experiences, participants were asked to provide survey responses before-and-after taking part in an urban–rural IGD curriculum centered on urban–rural identities. 27 students participated in the spring and summer 2024 semesters’ urban–rural IGD (Cohort 1, n = 11; Cohort 2, n = 10; Cohort 3, n = 6). There were 8 urban (30%), 10 suburban (37%), and 9 rural (33%) participants. Participants self-identified gender identities were as follows: 20 women (74%), 5 men (19%), and 2 non-binary (7%). Regarding racial/ethnic identities, 16 participants self-identified as White (59%), 4 as African American/Black (15%), 2 as Hispanic/Latinx (7%), 2 as Middle Eastern American (7%), 2 as multiracial (7%), and 1 as Asian (4%). I expanded previous IGD before-and-after evaluation surveys (Gurin et al., 2013; Kaplowitz et al., 2023). I also included open-ended survey questions to substantiate the t-test for detecting statistical significance in all four factors. I found that participants from urban, rural, and suburban areas showed statistically significant (p < .05) growth on all four factors through a 6-session urban–rural IGD curriculum. Qualitative open-ended responses are consistent with the quantitative results and further contextualize the understanding of participants’ fuller experiences reported in urban–rural IGD’s pre- and post-surveys. Ultimately, this dissertation intends to provide U.S. higher education institutions with IGD strategies to help narrow a divide, starting with urban, suburban, and rural college students and their meaningful interactions across social identities.
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