Social disconnection (i.e., isolation and loneliness) is a leading cause of death and its effects on well-being are equal-to or greater-than smoking, physical activity, and environmental pollution…

The University of Missouri System received a $349,997 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) under the Rural Health and Safety Education (RHSE) Competitive Grants Program (CFDA 10.516) on September 30, 2025, for the ShowMe Connection Project. The three-year initiative (through September 29, 2028) addresses social disconnection and loneliness in rural Missouri, particularly among young adults (18+) and older adults (65+), by leveraging the University of Missouri Extension delivery model to raise awareness, create social connection opportunities, and provide access to mental health and relationship skills programming across the state, including the isolated rural Bootheel region.

The project delivers four primary service categories: (1) awareness-raising trainings, social media messaging, and educational resources for extension specialists and community leaders on the importance of social connectedness; (2) group-based exercise programming and volunteer opportunity promotion to facilitate direct social connection; (3) relationship and social skills educational programming; and (4) access to teletherapy service referrals and mental health awareness programming. These evidence-based interventions are designed to cultivate "social connection ambassadors" who refer community members to available resources, thereby expanding the state's social connectedness capacity and addressing a documented public health priority in a region with limited access to support resources.

Social disconnection (i.e., isolation and loneliness) is a leading cause of death and its effects on well-being are equal-to or greater-than smoking, physical activity, and environmental pollution across hundreds of studies. The limited access to support resources and low population density of rural areas can contribute to social disconnection and missouri ranks among the lonelier states. Young adults (18+) and older adults (65+) are particularly vulnerable to social disconnection due to life changes during these developmental periods. Therefore, the showme connection project will increase the social connectedness capacity of the state through resource and educational programming servingrural adults, including those in the rural bootheel of the state, which constitutes a particularlyisolated region. More specifically, based on existing research and CDC recommendations, we propose the following objectives: (1) raise awareness about the importance of social connectedness through trainings, social media messaging, and educational resources for extension specialists, community members and leaders; (2) create opportunities for social connection through group-based exercise programming and awareness of volunteer opportunities; (3) provide access to relationship/social skills educational programming; and (4) facilitate access to supports that address maladaptive social cognitions, like teletherapy service referrals and mental health awareness programming through MU extension. These efforts are aimed at inspiringparticipants to refer community members who may be in-need of social connection services to resources as social connection ambassadors.