Rural Schools Mission & Policies

The Center for the History of Rural Iowa Education and Culture (CHRIEC), of the University of Northern Iowa Museum, is dedicated to the preservation, protection, and dissemination of unique and rare materials documenting America's rural school system and culture with particular emphasis on Iowa and the Midwest.

UNI Museum

Statement of Purpose

  • To collect, preserve, organize, and make available to researchers, materials relating to the cultural and institutional history of Iowa's rural schools.
  • To facilitate access to collections and materials for students, faculty, independent scholars, and organizations, in as much as facilities, budget, staffing, time, and other constraints permit.
  • To continue to promote and connect with other rural education focused organizations to further develop the current network of rural cultural resources available.

Information for Researchers

The Center for the History of Rural Iowa Education and Culture (CHRIEC), established in 2008 as a joint initiative of the UNI Museums, College of Education, and College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, is dedicated to the preservation, protection, and dissemination of materials and information relating to the rural school system and culture in Iowa. It maintains archival, historical, and research collections containing primary resources—such as the rural school records, photographs, and artifacts—as well as secondary materials including oral histories, reference works, and costumes.

Location and Hours

The Rural School Records, the largest component of the resources at the Center for the History of Rural Iowa Education and Culture, are physically located in Rod Library's Special Collections and Archives. It is open from 8am-4pm, Monday through Friday. Other materials in the collection of the CHRIEC are housed in the UNI Museums and are available by appointment or advance arrangements.