Building Homes and Community in Letcher County

Shellie Williams realized her calling was to work with children from early on in her career, starting out at a childcare center in 2000. Now, she has been a Full-Service Community Schools Coordinator at Letcher County Central High School for two years. “There’s no place like Letcher County,” Williams said, calling to mind her hometown. […]

Middlesboro Independent School District’s Innovative Literacy Program: The Phonebook

Two teenage students holding a copy of a children's book titled I Got Rythm

Bringing Stories to Life Middlesboro Independent School District, in collaboration with Partners for Rural Impact’s Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program, is using a creative solution to keep the love of reading alive in their community: The Phonebook. This unique telephone-based storytelling platform allows students to record and share their own stories, which younger students […]

Clear Vision, Bright Futures: Leslie County Schools Focus on Vision Issues

Students seated in a school library having vision exams

Clear Vision, Bright Futures: Leslie County Schools Focus on Vision Issues Students received vision exams from UPike College of Optometry students Leslie County, KY – During the last two weeks of school in Kentucky, all students in grades 3-8, 10, and 11 take the required Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA). This important academic milestone, along with […]

‘It Takes a Village:’ The Whole Child Approach in Letcher County

Wynn stands with a student holding a certificate

‘It Takes a Village:’ The Whole Child Approach in Letcher County For Mandy Wynn, returning to the world of academia to pursue her GED and higher education sparked a passion and purpose for serving her community. She now embodies that purpose every day in her role as Student Success Navigator at Jenkins Middle High School […]

A Mentor’s Mission to Uplift and Inspire Barbourville Students

A group pf high school students wearing medals and tshirts that read "Barbourville Science Olympics"

A Mentor’s Mission to Uplift and Inspire Barbourville Students There are two things Travis Mills is passionate about: education and Appalachia. With a rich background in education, Mills has been a guiding light for students in his community for years. He is the proud recipient of 17 Green Leaf Awards and counting—an honor bestowed upon […]

Nurturing Local Talent: How Leslie County is Shaping the Future of Education

Student interns teaching in elementary classroom

Nurturing Local Talent: How Leslie County is Shaping the Future of Education In an innovative effort to address the nation’s pressing teacher shortage, the Leslie County Area Technology Center, in collaboration with the Leslie County School District, is charting a new course. In collaboration with Partners for Rural Impact Appalachia and LKLP Community Action Council, […]

First African American Alumni Career Fair brings 27 MHS grads back to alma mater

First African American Alumni Career Fair brings 27 MHS grads back to alma mater Buffy Dunnaville, Gear UP Program Manager, welcomes students to the first annual African American Career Fair Last Friday marked a historic event at Middlesboro High School as 27 alumni returned to their alma mater for the inaugural African American Alumni Career […]