What is brain gain migration?

We often talk about brain drain in rural communities. It is no secret we have excellent school systems in rural America—we provide an exceptional education to our youth, they graduate, go to college and then on to employment in a big city. Brain drain.

I recently heard Benjamin Winchester, Extension educator for University of Minnesota, discuss brain gain—not brain drain—during Oklahoma State University’s Rural Renewal Symposium and it struck me that my city, Fairview, Oklahoma, is achieving brain gain migration without realizing it’s a “thing” that has been named by researchers and educators.

Amidst COVID-19, Fairview, Oklahoma, embarked on a “Find Your Way Home” campaign. We were watching trends and knew it was time. Now—more than ever before—people are pivoting. People in their 30s, 40s and 50s, who grew up in Fairview and moved away, realized during the pandemic that living in their home 24/7, far, far away from family was not what they desired. But, it’s not just during a pandemic that people pivot and return to their roots.

People who grow up in rural communities and move to the bigger cities may not realize it at the time but they start longing for a simpler life—an escape from the hectic pace of city life. A man that moved his family from California to our rural northwest Oklahoma town told me the three-minute commute to work and the lack of traffic was one of the best things ever. He also mentioned the difference in housing costs (Fairview’s housing costs are 57% lower than the national average) and the quality education for his children.

Fairview, Oklahoma, knows it has something to offer and we are actively inviting people to “Find Their Way Home”—to the city they grew up in that has opportunity, quality healthcare, superb education and a fun vibe—and it’s working. One of Fairview’s biggest draws is high speed internet. Citizens can have fiber in their home and this investment by utility companies has been a game changer for Fairview during a pandemic when working from home truly became reality.

“Find Your Way Home,” to date, has not been an expensive campaign for the joint effort committee between City of Fairview, Fairview Chamber of Commerce and Major County Economic Development Corporation. Committee members developed a stand-alone website (gofairviewok.com) and interviewed returning folks on camera and promoted the videos through social media. Committee members have also spoke at local alumni reunion events and asked citizens to simply spread the word.

The campaign is still in full force today. Fairview continues to roll out the welcome mat—to people finding their way back home, people who have never lived here but like what they see, and companies who find themselves here temporarily for a project—or permanently. Whatever the case, we are glad they are here and we stand ready to welcome more folks to Fairview, Oklahoma.

JaNae K. Barnard, executive director for Major County Economic Development Corporation, can by reached at 580-227-2512 or [email protected].