WASHINGTON, D.C., November 29, 2018—Tomorrow, November 30, through Saturday, December 1, 2018, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) will host 150 students from 15 Appalachian based colleges and universities at the 18th annual Appalachian Teaching Project (ATP) Conference in Washington, D.C.
Supported by ARC and organized by the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at East Tennessee State University (ETSU), ATP is an applied-research training program for college and graduate students to design community based economic development initiatives across the Appalachian Region as part of a school based curriculum. Schools participating in ATP offer a directed seminar guiding students in developing and executing field-based research projects specific to the needs of their surrounding communities and in alignment with the goals outlined in ARC’s current Strategic Investment Plan. As a capstone to this work, students and their faculty sponsors travel to Washington, DC to present their work to other student delegations from ATP participating institutions, ARC leadership, and community leaders in a formal peer-to-peer symposium.
“The Appalachian Teaching Project is a cornerstone of ARC’s commitment to next-generation leadership development.” Said ARC Federal Co Chair Tim Thomas. “The practical experience in research, planning, and economic development students get through this program will serve them and their communities for decades to come.”
Student delegations from 15 schools in 11 Appalachian states to be featured at the ATP Symposium this year include:
- Alfred State College, Alfred, New York
- Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina
- Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
- East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee
- Fairmont State University, Fairmont, West Virginia
- Frostburg State University, Frostburg, Maryland
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
- Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
- Radford University, Radford, Virginia
- Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, Cumberland, Kentucky
- Union College, Barbourville, Kentucky
- University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Bradford, Pennsylvania
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
- Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
- Young Harris College, Young Harris, Georgia
Summaries of each research project are available at www.arc.gov/atp.
Since 2001 over 2,250 college and graduate students from across Appalachia have participated in the Appalachian Teaching Project.
About the Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission (www.arc.gov) is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 420 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.