POCATELLO — Holly Kartchner, director of outreach and retention for Idaho State University’s College of Arts and Letters, was recently honored as a Social Justice and Health Equity Idaho Rural Health Hero for her work helping to connect students in rural school districts to educational and health resources.

Kartchner was among 11 candidates the Idaho Rural Health Association nominated for the Rural Health Hero award in the Social Justice and Health Equity category.

Nearly 20 people including Kartchner were nominated for hero awards across four categories. The other three categories were Outreach to Tribal Nations, ONE Health — Interconnectedness and Cross-Cultural Health and Healing.

The organization ultimately chose to name Kartchner the Social Justice and Health Equity hero, mainly because of her work with the INCLUDE Program, which stands for Idaho Needs Connectivity Leading University Distance Education and provides opportunities for rural students to take college courses remotely.

Through the INCLUDE Program, Kartchner already has been able to help provide mental health training to three schools, and get nearly 30 other schools on board with the program. The program is currently in its second phase, which is focused on improving rural access to telehealth services by training school faculty, parents and the community on health issues, and providing health care to students.

The first phase of the program was focused on increasing distance learning access for rural students to prevent geography from being a barrier to education. The efforts, which provided free equipment and technology to high schools, were funded by rural internet providers Direct Communications, Blackfoot Communications and ATC Communications, as well as by a federal grant.

The INCLUDE Program currently has sites in the American Falls, Aberdeen, Snake River, Rockland, Malad, Firth, Shelley, Shoshone-Bannock, Sugar Salem, Madison, Rigby, North Fremont, South Fremont, Teton, Salmon, Challis, Mackay, Butte County, West Jefferson, Clark County, South Lemhi (Leadore), North Gem, Grace, Bear Lake, Soda Springs, WestSide, Preston and Marsh Valley school districts.

“We’re just getting started. We’ve barely scratched the surface,” Kartchner said of the INCLUDE Program’s progress so far. “There’s so much more we can do and need to do to help those who may be struggling in rural schools. Rural school districts don’t have the same access to resources as larger districts, but they have a lot of talent, and we want to provide opportunities to open doors and help every student in Southeast Idaho reach their potential and find their path.”

Kartchner said the mental health-focused component of the INCLUDE Program likely played a big part in her receiving this award.

Much of what the program has done in working with rural school administrators, teachers, students and community members is focused on “acknowledging that everybody needs some self care, learning how to be aware that students may be struggling.” Kartchner said the program aims to create “awareness to get every student tools for a support system” and “help parents provide that for their kids.”

While Kartchner has worked with ISU since 2017, she previously worked as a government and history teacher in Blackfoot School District for about 24 years.

She said she loves working with multiple school districts in her role at ISU because she sees the intellectual ability, talent and desire that students have in districts across Southeast Idaho, and she wants to play a part in opening doors for them.

Three other people — Larry Murillo, Hailey Martinez and Roland Marshall — were named heroes alongside Kartchner, who said she was “surprised” by the award.

“There are a lot of people who do some incredible work, so to be included in that group is an honor,” she said. “I’m just really grateful for the opportunity to work with rural school districts and the amazing people who are out working with our youth. I hope what we’re doing is making a difference in those schools.”