Through the Appalachian Community Learning Project, community teams tackle a range of economic and community-development problems. After participating in leadership forums, teams set modest six-month goals and later report on results and lessons learned. By "chipping away" at local problems, teams have fostered individuals'…

Traces the history of the settlement school; describes cultural programs it now offers to supplement the county school system in art and music, day care, adult education, bookmobile services, and Appalachian folk arts; also describes school-sponsored regional writers' workshops, Appalachian Family Folk Week, and Appalachian Visual Arts Week. (JD)

In Appalachian Alabama, AlabamaREAL helps individuals, schools, and rural communities grow through hands-on entrepreneurship education. School-based businesses teach students to recognize business opportunities; encourage participatory learning; and meet the needs of small, rural communities. The Appalachian Regional Commission provides schools…

Describes presentations at Appalachian Regional Commission's (ARC) 25th anniversary conference, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, October 1990. Conference focused on youth leadership. More than 100 youth from 13 states attended, presenting 16 ARC-funded demonstration projects, including recreation programs, leadership development, theater…

Describes use in Appalachia of "Writing to Read," IBM-developed computer-assisted phonetic literacy program for first graders. Describes program's premise, history, and technology. Program uses phonetics, emphasizing student expression over spelling and punctuation. Describes establishment and use of literacy laboratories in West…

Innovative solutions to local problems in Appalachia were highlighted at the 1999 Ideas That Work conference. Presentation summaries focus on computer literacy and access to computers for middle school students, collaborative services for preschool children, youth programs, motivating students to attend college, training and technical assistance…

Building strong ties between Appalachian schools and communities was the topic of the Appalachian Regional Commission's October 2002 annual conference (Maryville, Tennessee). Main speakers focused on maintaining a long-term perspective on investments in education, creating rural "places of opportunity" that can retain educated people,…

Describes the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Hazmat Training Program (Beckley, WV). It is the largest program in the nation for training skilled workers to safely handle toxic and hazardous wastes. This program has produced more than 450 certified instructors, who, in turn, have trained more than 18,000 workers. (LP)

The Dalton (Georgia) High School Apprenticeship Program, a joint effort of local carpet companies and the school, provides high school students with the necessary skills for high-tech jobs in the carpeting industry. The program seeks to reduce the dropout rate while addressing the local shortage of skilled workers. (LP)

The Challenger Learning Center of Kentucky is 1 of 34 Challenger Center sites for space science education nationally and the only one in a rural area. Since the center's opening in March 1999, some 5,500 sixth-graders have "flown" space missions that involved using teamwork and math and science skills to solve problems and complete the…

The William King Regional Arts Center (Abingdon, Virginia) shares Appalachian and world cultures with thousands of visitors each year, runs a comprehensive school program staffed by certified instructors and studio artists, and takes art to 93 rural elementary schools in surrounding counties. In 18 months of field work, the center documented the…

A number of Appalachian initiatives aim to recruit rural doctors. West Virginia's three medical schools require all students to spend time working in rural clinics, where they develop an understanding of and connections to rural communities. In two rural Tennessee counties, East Tennessee State University maintains teaching medical practices…

Uses question-and-answer format to profile Edna Compton, director of Dungannon (Virginia) Development Commission, an economic development group formed and managed by local people. Commission improved education, housing, and employment in area. Compton discusses process, achievements, and goals held by commission and herself. (TES)

Describes Eastern Kentucky Teachers' Network (EKTN), developed by Foxfire Teacher Outreach program for training teachers in "Foxfire approach" to education. Describes development of EKTN from summer workshop idea to three-woman office. Describes classroom projects initiated by EKTN, and program's effect on teachers. (TES)