The Lab is regionally unique in its three-year membership term. We believe that relationships are at the foundation of achieving our north star goal, and we recognize the need to ‘move at the speed of trust.’ Building deep relational trust with other members (and developing friendships!) takes time and intentionality. Our convening days are intentionally in-person and grounded in a programming model called Connecting Humans and Telling Stories (CHATS). Rather than ‘sit and get’ learning experiences, members learn through relationship building with each other. Exchange and peer learning, grounded in active listening, storytelling, and perspective-taking, are core principles of the program. 

We see it as our role to not only build relational trust among members, which we believe will ultimately facilitate collaborations needed to achieve our north star goal, but also to deeply invest in the members who are on the ground, in their home communities, already doing the work required for achieving this goal. We intentionally keep our cohorts small, at a “sweet spot” size of around 20 members, so that we can deeply invest in the members who comprise them. The annual financial award recognizes our belief and investment in our members, in addition to easy access to flexible funding that can be used for individual professional development and/or to further a north star goal pursuit in their community. We see it as our job to add resources, subtract barriers, and connect our participants. 

Communities in the region are rich and diverse in their size, assets, populations, profiles, opportunities, and challenges. Our four-state service region represents a rich tapestry of histories, identities, and cultures. We believe that sustainable systems change in Central Appalachia requires the focus of leaders who are rooted in their local culture, who are familiar with both the challenges and opportunities, and who deeply believe in the potential of their communities. Using a ‘host member’ convening model, wherein members volunteer to ‘host’ the cohort in their community for a weekend and shape the day’s learning around a locally-relevant ‘core question,’ allows us to begin to understand some of these beautiful complexities across our region. We learn about local issues and opportunities related to our north star goal from those who are on the ground and most impacted by them locally.  This pillar acknowledges the importance of authentic community leadership with a deep respect for communities across the region.