More than a quarter of Missouri's population lives in rural areas. Their hometowns are scattered across the state, with long hauls to the nearest mall or big city. Most will go to high school knowing the names of every student in their graduating class. "My Life, My Town" documents a slice of time in the lives of teenagers from small Missouri towns. These are the youth who make up the hope and future of rural life -- if they decide to stay. Our hope is that these stories capture the voice of the often unheard youth, who live beyond the point where our radio signals die and the circulation for our newspapers end. Here, we hear their stories -- a unique look at the day-to-day joys and struggles of rural life.

Join us for a special screening of these short multimedia documentaries about Missouri teens. The teens of these towns may be growing up gay, living Latina with immigrant parents, facing the challenges of teen parenthood, or making a decision to stay or not to stay on the family farm. A discussion will follow the documentaries. Free!

"My Life, My Town" is a collaboration by producers at KBIA, photographers and photo editors at the Columbia Missourian, with help from 4H, Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI), and the Reynolds Journalism Institute.