Appalachia has a history of isolation, poverty, substandard education and services, and economic exploitation by outside forces, but also has a long history of resistance and community organizing. This paper describes three rural Appalachian community organizations whose mission is the strengthening and empowering of communities as well as…

The Community in the Classroom project in rural Virginia attempts to develop communities of teachers and learners in the classroom, build curriculum around external community issues, and involve learners in community work. Staff development for adult educators helps them deal with giving up power in the classroom and playing appropriate roles in…

Three teams of teachers and administrators from three adult basic education programs in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia participated in a 2-year action research project that focused on developing approaches that local programs can use to document the outcomes of student participation in adult education programs. Facilitators helped the teams…