33rd Annual National Institute on Social Work and
Human Services in Rural Areas

Urban Legends—Rural Dreams: Cultivating Rural Communities
in an Urban Era

July 24-27, 2008 - Boise State University, Boise, Idaho

preliminary schedule (05/28/2008)
conference registration form
find out more about boise, idaho
lodging information

Welcome to Boise, Idaho….Boise is the city located in the heart of the Rural Northwest. If you haven’t been to Boise, Idaho, the Rural Social Work Conference is the perfect opportunity to visit The City of Trees.

Boise is a delightful blend of traditional and non-traditional sights and attractions. The City of Trees boasts one-of-a-kind museums and urban parks, a river flowing through the heart of the city and a 25-mile river front greenbelt.  Among the many unique sites to visit are the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, Morrison-Knudsen Nature Center, Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, Idaho Black History Museum and the World Center for Birds of Prey.  Southwest Idaho’s easily accessible outdoors beckons the Boise visitor to enjoy nearby mountains, desert sand dunes, canyons and whitewater rafting rivers. Boise is the perfect city for a memorable visit.

The Conference will be held on the Boise State University Campus, located in the heart of the City, and home of the Boise State Broncos. Experience University easy living by staying on campus, which allows us to offer this conference at a very reasonable cost.

Planned activities presently include a trip to the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, an outdoor amphitheater, located in a habitat reserve. This is a theatrical experience like no other. You will experience the magic, drama and passion of professional theater in a 760 seat, state-of-the-art facility that was built to feature the human voice. The Festival Amphitheater & Reserve is nestled in a unique habitat that is home to an astonishing variety of plant and animal species.

Also available is a raft trip down the Boise River.  This area is a wonderful inner-city habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals. The six-mile float trip is a fun way to enjoy Boise’s summer weather.

If floating isn’t your thing, we will also be offering a trip on the Boise Tour Train, an old fashion trolley system that will take you through downtown Boise and out to the Botanical Gardens, all while learning about the discovery of gold in the Boise Basin, the completion of the State Capitol Building in 1920, and to the most up to date construction plans in downtown. During the tour you will see a great deal of pioneer architecture, including log cabins, adobe homes and sandstone buildings.