Rural communities are often much more socially and politically complex than people expect. They serve as zones of stewardship, resilience, connection to land and places where solutions emerge. Rural often refers to communities and areas located outside of cities and towns, generally characterized by a low population density, open spaces, and agriculture.

In northern Arizona, the Secure Rural Schools program provides critical funding for public schools and local infrastructure in Coconino County. The program was created through the U.S. Forest Service in 2000 and generates funding on public lands from grazing and timber production and redistributes the money to eligible rural counties. Schools in Coconino County, which overlap with the Navajo Nation, depend on Secure Rural School funding for infrastructure like emergency services, roads and school buses. These images were a part of a commercial project focused on Coconino County supervisor Lina Fowler for Resource Rural, a non-profit which highlights solutions occurring in rural communities across America.