Programs

To accomplish our mission, the Appalachian Center has three complementary program areas. To learn more about each program, click on the program's name.

New Solutions
We believe that new ideas, or improvements upon existing ones, can greatly increase quality of life. For that reason, we cultivate thoughtful inquiry and act on innovative, cutting edge strategies.

• Appalachian Conversations brings community and University constituents together for dialogic learning and collaborative processes to explore new ideas and propose smart, sustainable solutions that benefit the public good. From this process, a contingent is formed to move an agreed upon strategy toward realization and independence.
• Appalachian IDEAS Network is a regional, multi-university, social-entrepreneurial education initiative designed to equip Appalachian students with knowledge, skills, and resources to develop entrepreneurial ventures that address challenges within their local communities. For a registration form, please click here.

 

Essential Knowledge
We recognize the important role of research in innovation and therefore serve as a center of new and important knowledge for leaders working in Appalachia.

• The Dashboard is a consistent, yearly summary of relevant data and indicators in a compressed and accessible format to be used by community leaders to enhance their work and to inform local decision-makers by increasing the understanding of the forces that impact quality of life.
• Appalachia 101 is a multi-media learning tool that seeks to improve and expand Appalachian research by providing orientation and technical assistance to researchers preparing to carry out projects in the region.
• Topics in Appalachia presents a series of campus symposia on a selected topic each semester. The series is intended to stimulate interest in research in and on Appalachia.

 

Dynamic Networks
We understand the advantage of creating a more dynamic environment within the Appalachian region and thus help to foster linkages and collaboration within and between the University, organizations, and communities so that they can share resources and knowledge.

• Connect Appalachia is a technology-enhanced community program intended to reduce isolation and improve civic engagement in areas of economic and community evolution. THis project, along with the Appalachian Summits, helps to stimulate new ideas and build robust partnerships between innovators in the region.
• Appalachia in the World organizes the Rome Exchange and DigitizeMANIPUR, both of which forward the intellectual capacity of scholars interested in studying linkages between rural communities and the lessons they teach about society, socialization, identity, and self-representation.