Thursday, July 14, 2016

Partners for Education to Lead Regional Creative Asset Mapping Project – Volunteers and Citizen Input Needed

Partners for Education at Berea College (PFE) is launching an extensive creative asset mapping project across southeastern Kentucky. PFE aims to provide training and support to teams from each of eight Kentucky Promise Zone counties (Bell, Clay, Harlan, Knox, Leslie, Letcher, Perry and Whitley) to map and promote features of the region’s culture and heritage.

Between Summer 2016 and Fall 2017, teams will receive training, facilitate meetings and listening sessions, conduct interviews and collect stories and information on community strengths and features such as annual events, local customs, traditions, historical sites, performance spaces, locally-owned restaurants, artisans, performance ensembles, service organizations, educational resources, media production and more. The teams will collaborate to create an interactive map of cultural assets in the Promise Zone to share with residents, local governments, tourism commissions and community development groups.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). As a recipient of an NEA Our Town planning grant, Partners for Education hopes to use creative asset mapping as a first step in harnessing the arts to improve livability in the Promise Zone. PFE hopes the asset mapping process will grow social and civic engagement in the region and that it will be followed by additional arts-focused projects and funding.

PFE is currently seeking volunteers to serve on the eight county teams. Ideal candidates include youth, adults, artists, activists, educators, city council and chamber of commerce members, and people from any walks of life who care about their counties and want to shine a spotlight on positive features that make their communities unique. In addition to free training and support, participants will also be eligible for funding of community projects based upon their research. More information will be forthcoming regarding meetings, listening sessions and other opportunities for general input. Contact Sarah Campbell at Berea College Partners for Education to learn more or get involved: sarah_campbell@berea.edu, 859-200-9783.

Partners for Education at Berea College provides educational programming to children, families and schools to achieve the result – all Appalachian Kentucky youth succeed in school.

CONTACT: Sarah Campbell, Partners for Education at Berea College 859-200-9783, sarah_campbell@berea.edu


1 comment:

  1. The old Middlesboro Hospital, shown in the background, is falling down, windows broken, roof caving AND a tree is growing out a window. I understand Dallas Shackleford gave it to DDM in 2012 and you accepted it and have done nothing since then. What will you do when it's bones give out and tumble down and injure or kill someone? Shame on you. That is a dangerous place and is an eyesore.

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