Current Conditions

In Central Appalachia, issues of economic mobility and futures of possibility for youth are not just issues of education. While the schoolhouse serves as the core of our communities, it is also the place that we see intersections with societal issues and opportunities relevant to the pursuit of our north star goals. We are clear-eyed about the challenges associated with issues like healthcare access, extractive economies, population decline, and continued natural disasters. And we are all too familiar with the damaging dominant narratives that persist about the region. 

We are also clear-eyed about our belief in the power, possibility, and potential within Central Appalachia. We wholeheartedly believe that the people here are equipped with the expertise, drive, and compassion to achieve economic mobility and futures of possibility for our youth. After all, they have nourished the incredible assets and resources that have been here for generations. As teachers are shaping student outcomes in the classroom, we know that leaders are working tirelessly to ensure that Appalachians have access to excellent healthcare, infrastructure, and social services so that those students show up healthy and well-resourced. We see local changemakers dedicated to economic revitalization and re-investing in community development in ways big and small, all of which impact the future of possibilities that youth see for themselves. We recognize the critical work of journalists, writers, and artists who are challenging dominant narratives about the region and see the impacts on how youth make meaning of their own Appalachian identities.

And, we believe that achieving our north star goals will require collaboration across these silos – namely, across different sectors and across Appalachian state lines. We see it as our calling to bring together systems change leaders across their respective areas of the broader ecosystem to facilitate knowledge transfer and spur new and deeper collaboration. We believe that closing the gaps between ideas, people, and places will be the lever for change in achieving our north star goals.