Collaboration develops rural Appalachian towns

_Correction (Setember 3, 1: 17 a.m.): Due to a reporting error, this story incorrectly states the type of colleges that received funds. They are private colleges. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error. _

UNC

Four years later, a program the University developed in collaboration with that association has provided four community colleges the resources to improve their respective towns.

Through the Appalachian Colleges Community Economic Development Partnership, community colleges have brought Internet access to disconnected towns. They have improved efficiency within local organizations and promoted entrepreneurship. And they stimulated the economies of downtrodden Appalachian towns.

“We wanted to provide them the funds and tools to create their own programs and then let them help their communities,” said Josh Levy, assistant director of the Office of Economic and Business Development at UNC.

Just as the community colleges were charged with improving their towns, colleges were asked to rely on themselves to research each project.

“We had to get rid of the notion that we at the academy were the experts and could go out into the community and say, ‘Get out of the way. We know what we’re doing here,’” said George Loveland, the project coordinator at Ferrum College.

The Jessie Ball duPont Fund provided the largest grant for the $120,000 project.

The fund provides resources to help stimulate community problem solving and build the capacity of eligible organizations.

In September 2006, the partnership called for applications from all the institutions in the Appalachian College Association.

Four were chosen out of 15 applications: Ferrum College in Ferrum, Va., King College in Bristol, Tenn., Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Ky., and Mars Hill College in Mars Hill, N.C.

In 2007, UNC hosted a seminar to educate faculty from the chosen colleges on how to build economic relationships with their communities.

The schools spent the 2007-08 academic year planning and researching their programs, for which they each received $10,000. For the next two years, the partnership provided $20,000 to implement the programs.

Mars Hill focused on agriculture and tourism, tightening up the bookkeeping of the town to increase efficiency, and King College led local entrepreneurs into prospective job work.

Ferrum College helped provide broadband Internet access to the surrounding town. Students used GPS mapping to find which areas would best suit radio towers and gave the information to a local organization that has already begun construction, Loveland said.

“It’s not missionary work you do on the side,” he said. “Our students were using their skills and knowledge that they are learning in class.”

Gillian Bosonetto, director of Career Services for Mars Hill College, said the program did not emerge as a reaction to the poor economic climate. But it has served as an invaluable resource, she said.

“I would say there is definitely a need now,” she said. “Maybe if we had all been doing our parts before, there wouldn’t be an economic downturn to begin with.”

Contact the University Desk at udesk@unc.edu.