Participation Type
Workshop
Session Title
Session 6.16 Education
Session Abstract or Summary
Appalachia is made up of many mountains, many communities and many different sectors of work. The Appalachian Transition Fellows based out of the Highlander Education Center have spent 9 months working throughout central Appalachia to build cross sector bridges and to help further a positive growth in the region’s economy. Through the fellowship people are working with different models of transition, including value chains, worker owner cooperatives, local food initiatives, policy making, etc. In this session we will be breaking out into different groups each led by one or two fellows to talk about various ways these different models could be beneficial in different communities in Appalachia. There is value in working not only across county and state lines, but also working across economic sector boundaries. This is a workshop to understand the different models being used and to further discuss how to growth between these models for a more diverse and stronger Appalachian economy.
Presentation #1 Title
Appalachian Transition: A cross sector approach to regional transition.
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Appalachia is made up of many mountains, many communities and many different sectors of work. The Appalachian Transition Fellows based out of the Highlander Education Center have spent 9 months working throughout central Appalachia to build cross sector bridges and to help further a positive growth in the region’s economy. Through the fellowship people are working with different models of transition, including value chains, worker owner cooperatives, local food initiatives, policy making, etc. In this session we will be breaking out into different groups each led by one or two fellows to talk about various ways these different models could be beneficial in different communities in Appalachia. There is value in working not only across county and state lines, but also working across economic sector boundaries. This is a workshop to understand the different models being used and to further discuss how to growth between these models for a more diverse and stronger Appalachian economy.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Willa Johnson is from the coal camps of McRoberts, KY and currently lives and works as an Appalachian Transition Fellow in Morganton, NC. Her fellowship position is working with the Carolina Textile District and Opportunity Threads Worker-Owner Cooperative where she works to help share the stories of the work happening in the textile industry. She was one of the founding members of the Stay Together Appalachian Youth Project (STAY) and is a current steering committee member.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Joey Aloi is an Appalachian Transition Fellow working with the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, the Charleston Area Medical Center, and Corey Bros Produce. He grew up in Fairmont and then Buckhannon, West Virginia. He attended Warren Wilson College, where he studied Philosophy and worked for the Carpentry Crew. He continued his studies in Philosophy at The University of Montana and the University of North Texas, focusing on environmental thought. He lives in Charleston, WV.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Mae Humiston grew up in a farming community in rural western Virginia. She left the region to attend Tufts University where she discovered a passion for issues plaguing family farmers and our food system. After working on several farms in Boston and Virginia, Mae joined the Appalachian Transition Fellowship, working with the Community Farm Alliance, Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky to focus on food and farm issues in eastern Kentucky.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Zach Swick is a social scientist whose work focuses on social-ecological systems and rural development. He received a master's degree in Appalachian studies, sustainable development, and geographic information science from Appalachian State University and graduated summa cum laude from the University of New Hampshire. In 2014, Zach won ASA's Carl A. Ross Student Paper Award and was inducted into the Cratis D. Williams Society. He currently serves as an AppFellow in Athens, Ohio.
Appalachian Transition: A cross sector approach to regional transition.
Appalachia is made up of many mountains, many communities and many different sectors of work. The Appalachian Transition Fellows based out of the Highlander Education Center have spent 9 months working throughout central Appalachia to build cross sector bridges and to help further a positive growth in the region’s economy. Through the fellowship people are working with different models of transition, including value chains, worker owner cooperatives, local food initiatives, policy making, etc. In this session we will be breaking out into different groups each led by one or two fellows to talk about various ways these different models could be beneficial in different communities in Appalachia. There is value in working not only across county and state lines, but also working across economic sector boundaries. This is a workshop to understand the different models being used and to further discuss how to growth between these models for a more diverse and stronger Appalachian economy.
