More than a quarter of Missouri's population lives in rural areas. Many of the towns these people live in are beyond the point where our radio signal dies and are outside newspapers’ circulation areas.

‘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 getting to know the children these villages raise will provide a unique look at the day-to-day joys and struggles of rural life.

‘My Life, My Town’ is a collaboration by producers at KBIA and photographers and photo editors at the Columbia Missourian.

Stuart Cox

Centralia, Missouri - 2015

Monica Smith

Higginsville, Missouri - 2015

Trinity Rainey

Columbia, Missouri - 2015

Shirley LeBlanc

Harrisburg, Missouri - 2015

Sam Jarvis

Pevely, Missouri - 2015

Jake McFail

Sedalia, Missouri - 2015

Alizebeth Wright

Richland, Missouri - 2012

Jared Thomassen

Ashland, Missouri - 2012

Monica Smith

Higginsville, Missouri - 2012

Alaysha Jefferson

Hallsville, Missouri - 2012

Terry and Tony DeWeese

Hallsville, Missouri - 2012

Shirley LeBlanc

Harrisburg, Missouri - 2011

Monica Martinez

Mexico, Missouri - 2011

Max Kaplan

Sturgeon, Missouri - 2011

Stuart Cox

Centralia, Missouri - 2011

Madelyne and Landon Brand

Glasgow, Missouri - 2011

Alexis Atkinson

Hallsville, Missouri - 2011

Maria Weimer

Salisbury, Missouri - 2011

Trinity Rainey

Macon, Missouri - 2011

Bored in Lawson

Lawson, Missouri - 2011

Caleb Eskew

Hallsville, Missouri - 2011