FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tucson, AZ – The National Rural Education Association (NREA) is proud to announce a new type of partnership with LEGENDS Research. LEGENDS will be the first NREA Rural Research Alliance Partner, and NREA is the inaugural Advocacy Association Ally for the LEGENDS Education Rural Rally Alliance.
This partnership is designed to advance rural education research and advocacy through active, mission-aligned collaboration. LEGENDS Research will guide NREA leadership through organizational planning, conduct research using the LEGENDS framework, and provide a custom decision-support tool, Kairos AI, for NREA leaders, NREA member organizations, and affiliated researchers.
Eric Bonniksen, Co-Founder of LEGENDS Education, is a fifth-generation educator whose career has been defined by the conviction that rural leadership constitutes a distinct and advanced form of educational governance.
“Rural superintendents manage enrollment decline, strained funding, multi-role staffing structures, and direct community accountability without the institutional buffers available to large districts,” said Bonniksen. “The leaders carrying these conditions require research grounded in those realities. That is what this alliance is designed to produce.”
“The LEGENDS Rural Alliance has always been grounded in what Eric has lived and led,” said Dr. Kimberly Bonniksen, Founder and CEO of LEGENDS Research. “Partnering with NREA gives that work a national research platform and an institutional voice that reaches every rural district in the country.”
As part of this collaboration, LEGENDS Research is now accepting sponsorship applications for 12-week “Research Sprints.” These initiatives allow qualified companies, with existing engagement with rural educators and students, to fund targeted research into rural education challenges. NREA will provide co-authorship and institutional credentialing on all resulting publications.
“The National Rural Education Association is proud to formalize this relationship with LEGENDS Research,” said Dr. Melissa Sadorf, Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association. “The depth of rural education experience that Eric and Kim bring to this work is what our members require: research grounded in the actual conditions of rural leadership.”
NREA looks forward to this collaboration with LEGENDS Research to expand and deepen their rural research initiatives.
About LEGENDS Research
LEGENDS Research is a women-owned institution studying how consequential decisions are made under pressure. The institution applies a structured analytical framework to support leaders navigating complex, high-stakes environments across education, policy, business, and innovation. For more information, visit legendsresearch.com.
About LEGENDS Education
LEGENDS Education is the research-driven leadership development division of LEGENDS Research, co-founded by Dr. Kimberly Bonniksen and Eric Bonniksen. The division applies the LEGENDS analytical framework across the full education ecosystem, providing courses, decision frameworks, and strategic tools for leaders operating under consequence at the district, state, and national levels. For more information, visit legendseducation.com.
About the National Rural Education Association
The National Rural Education Association (NREA) was originally founded as the Department of Rural Education in 1907. It is the oldest established national organization in the United States. As the trusted voice for rural education, the NREA advocates for every rural learner, educator, and community. The NREA envisions strong rural schools and communities where education is the catalyst for resilience, opportunity and success.
Media Contact — LEGENDS Research
Donald Stojack, Chief Legacy Officer, LEGENDS Research | LEGENDS Education
360-710-1754
donaldstojack@LEGENDSResearch.com
Media Contact — National Rural Education Association
Dr. Melissa Sadorf, Executive Director, NREA
520-266-0081
melissa@NREA.net
