ARISE Project Summaries

Since January 2023, ARC has awarded $67.3 million to 19 projects impacting 12 Appalachian states through its ARISE initiative. These projects will expand broadband, educate workers in emerging sectors, and bolster green manufacturing in Appalachia. Learn more about these projects – organized by ARC’s investment priorities – below.

Building Appalachian Businesses

Catalyst Connection – $10 million – Manufacturing the New Energy Economy Project
Green Building Alliance – $500,000 – Establishing Regional Green Building Supply Chain
Industrial Commons – $10 million – Accelerating the Green Textile Economy Project
Invest Appalachia – $496,500 – Appalachian Downtown Developers Initiative
Steel Valley Authority – $500,000 – Appalachian Sustainable Finance Hub
Virginia Tech – $490,647 – Growing Forest Farming Businesses Project
Building Appalachia’s Workforce Ecosystems

Community Education Group – $7.7 million – Community Health Workforce Development Project
Education Alliance – $4.7 million – Career Acceleration, Readiness, and Employment Experiences Project
Mountain State Educational Services Cooperative – $416,959 – Student Career Readiness Project
Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission – $4.5 million – Career Education, Workforce, and Employment Project
Upper Cumberland Development District – $265,607 – SUD Recovery-to-Work Project
Virginia Tech – $453,743 – Adapting to Changing Construction Industry in Appalachia
Building Appalachia’s Infrastructure
Beneficial Electrification League – $500,000 – Community-Owned Grid Resilient Infrastructure Project
Carnegie Mellon University – $293,551 – OH-PA-WV Economic Revitalization Network
Connect Humanity – $6.2 million – Digital Equity Accelerator Projects
Tennessee Tech – $10 million – Smart Grid Deployment and Platform Expansion Project
Building Regional Culture and Tourism
Appalachian Wildlife Foundation and Cumberland Trails Conference – $9,316,181 – Boone’s Ridge and Cumberland Trail Improvements
PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. – $387,500 – Mobile Platform Development for Rural Tourism Economies
Building Community Capacity

Central Appalachian Network – $498,300 – New Era Planning Project