Leadership Development and Capacity Building



Looking Forward: ARPA in Appalachia

Gain valuable insight on how the American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) is poised to add jobs and attract additional investment in a multi-county area in TN. Learn about how a NC local development district is working with their communities to maximize the impact of…
Event
West Virginia

Libera, Inc: Empowering Women and Teens in West Virginia 

In West Virginia, Libera, Inc. is working to help women and teens embody the state’s beloved motto, “montani semper liberi,” or “mountaineers are always free.” Named for the feminine form of the word “liberi,” Libera envisions a Mountain State where every woman and teen is free…
Investment in Action
Alabama

Lisa Bright: Breaking Barriers to Recovery

When Will Bright passed away in 2014 from an overdose, his mother, Lisa Bright, knew she had to turn her pain into purpose. She and her husband, Bill, started the Will Bright Foundation to both honor their son and provide others with a safe, supportive environment for their recovery…
Investment in Action
Kentucky

Whitley

Why Whitley: Designing a New Community Narrative

UK Landscape Architecture rendering of River Fog Park (Image courtesy of Why Whitley Facebook) In 2018 in Whitley County, Kentucky, a group of passionate citizens held a dinner to discuss ways to change the narrative surrounding the community. There were so many things to be proud of within the county,…
Investment in Action
North Carolina

Philip Cooper: Inspiring Change

For Philip Cooper, helping his community recover from substance use disorder is a personal, lifelong commitment.
Investment in Action
Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia

A High School Shark Tank in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia

“Revolutionary Unique” was one of the many businesses pitched at the Dare to DreamCompetition for high school students in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Creating a brighter economic future for Appalachia means investing in leadership skills and capacity of young doers, thinkers and leaders today. That’s why ARC…
Investment in Action
North Carolina

EmPOWERing North Carolina’s Farmers and Small Businesses

In October 2019, North Carolina State University (NCSU) received a $1.1 million grant from ARC’s POWER Initiative to launch EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems. The project initially intended to strengthen a seven-county “foodshed” in Western North Carolina by helping current producers become more profitable and training new farmers…
Investment in Action
Kentucky

Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR)

Behind the scenes as SOAR prepares for its online conference with partner at Coalfields Industrial Park in Perry County, Kentucky. In 2013, with ARC support, SOAR (Shaping our Appalachian Region) was established as a community based collaborative effort to embrace new ideas, leverage resources, and build capacity in eastern Kentucky. Headquartered…
Investment in Action
Kentucky

BRIGHT Kentucky: Leading the Region’s Future

BRIGHT Kentucky is a free training program building developed by the Leadership Kentucky Foundation to expand capacity of next-generation economic development leaders in the state’s 54 Appalachian counties. Made possible through support from ARC, The Kentucky Department of Local Government, the Whitaker Foundation, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and others,…
Investment in Action