Totally committed

his issue is dedicated to ’s Appalachian region primarily through education but renewed Great Commitment “To engage also by other appropriate services.” Yet times and TAppalachian communities, families, and relationships change. Under President Roelofs’ students in partnership for mutual learning, growth, guidance, the College undertook an intensive two- and service.” year period of examination of the Great The Eight Great Commitments were first Commitments leading to their reaffirmation and (in adopted in 1969 and reaffirmed (and slightly revised) few cases) revision to better catch the relationships of in 1993 under President Stephenson. Both times, our time. the concluding Commitment read, “To serve the turn to page 3

Berea students learn about sustainable development at Owsley Fork Lake.

FALL 2017 2 Crystal Wilkinson 4 Weatherford Awards 8 Entrepreneurial Communities Writing a ripple

Fall 2017 Volume 44 • Number 2 a profile of Crystal Wilkinson

LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER STAFF by Richard Childers Chris Green , Director, Appalachian Center; Associate Professor of Appalachian Studies rystal Wilkinson was raised by her grandparents on a small farm in Casey Richard Childers , Appalachian Male County, , and graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in Student Advocate and Mentor C1985 with a B.A. in journalism. She received her MFA from Spalding Heather Dent , Program Assistant University in Louisville. Crystal’s latest book, The Birds of Opulence , won the 2017 Dr. Peter H. Hackbert , Moore Weatherford Award for Appalachian Fiction, the 2017 Judy Young Gaines Prize Chair in Management and for Fiction, the 10th Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, and was Entrepreneurship; Director, featured in . Crystal has also published two award winning Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Oxford American (EPG) collections of short stories, Blackberries, Blackberries , and Water Street along with , Distinguished Professor many other works. in Residence in Appalachian Studies Crystal is one of the founding members of the Affrilachian Poets along with Silas House , NEH Chair in authors such as and Frank X Walker, who coined the term Appalachian Studies “Affrilachia” in reference to the Appalachian region. The Affrilachian Poets have Jason Howard , Editor, Appalachian been writing since 1991; they highlight the many cultural influences and the wide Heritage array of people that make up Appalachia by drawing connections amongst the Christopher Miller , College Curator people of the region, the similar hardships they all face, and the land they call home. and Associate Director, Appalachian Center Having taught courses all over the region and now in the role of Appalachian Lyndsey Mullins , Program Writer in Residence at Berea College, Crystal is able to submerge herself and her Coordinator, EPG students into an environment that not only sparks but breathes creative energy into Crystal Wilkinson , Appalachian their works. Through reading other authors, workshopping each other’s writing for Writer in Residence critique and reflection, and participating in public readings of their own stories, Crystal’s students become more familiar and aware of the essence of their writing Please address all correspondence to: voice. Loyal Jones Appalachian Center Berea College, CPO 2166 Urging her students to follow and probe at their own “haunts”, Crystal allows Berea, Kentucky 40404 her students the freedom to delve into the issues and topics that move them deeply. 859.985.3140 www.berea.edu/ac One of her most powerful lessons is to strum and strum and strum through a piece of writing until somewhere in some shape or form, a writer hits a sharp “twang.” Far too many writers are caught up in the beauty and harmony of their art, the bits Berea College and the Appalachian and pieces that work well. They fail to bat an eye at all of their own twangs , the Center are committed to the betterment parts that don’t belong or distract from the primary focus of the piece. Crystal’s of the peoples of Appalachia. The unique views and perspectives of style powerfully exemplifies how to propel art to the next level—not by hoarding individual authors in this newsletter, and worshipping the strums, but by taking the time and paying careful attention to however, do not necessarily represent the details in those twangs. the views and policies of Berea College. Crystal is intentional about offering opportunities outside of the classroom as well. Students travel to events such as the Kentucky Women Writers Conference, Designed and Printed at Berea College and Crystal has also been able to bring prominent artists here to campus. In Printing Services October of 2016 she organized the Black Women Writers Symposium that

2 LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER Totally committed continued from page 1

The Great Commitment

0 to Appalachia now clearly .

3 -

A recognizes that learning, S -

Y growth, and service are two B - C C

way streets realized through an /

s

n engaged partnership of equals. o featured m The interconnections of Berea m artists such o C

College and Appalachia are a i

as bell d

e myriad, and the College has m hooks, i

k placed its units dedicated to i

Carolyn W

/ serving Appalachia and are

7

Finney, 6

5 primarily funded through 4

Joan 5 6 external source—Partners for J

Brannon, ©

: Education, the Brushy Fork o Bianca t o Institute, and Grow h p

Spriggs,

d Appalachia—under a new Vice n doris u o President for Strategic r g

davenport, k

c Initiatives. So although you a Juyanna b will no longer see their staff James, Crystal Wilkinson names on the masthead of this Kristine newsletter, Brushy Fork Yohe, Xandria Phillips, Amythyst Kiah, as well as Crystal herself. Apart from Institute and Grow Appalachia conferences and readings, Crystal has given her students the opportunity to continue to be a vital part of invest in the next generation of writers in the local community. She has Berea’s Appalachian established an ongoing project with the GEAR UP program at Madison Commitment. Southern High School in which she and her students offer writing workshops In addition to stories in and mentorship to high school students. this issue about the vital work Crystal Wilkinson now resides in Lexington, Kentucky with her partner, of the Brushy Fork Institute Ronald Davis, a visual artist and poet who publishes work such as his collection and Partners for Education, of poetry Caul and Response under the name upfromsumdirt. Crystal and Ron you will also learn about a Pike own a bookstore and coffee shop in Lexington called Wild Figs Books and County Berea student’s work Coffee, which was featured in the New York Times , where they hold regular with Entrepreneurship for the readings and events for prominent authors or book releases, plus they always have Public Good, Crystal some fresh coffee and pastries. Wilkinson (our Appalachian Crystal has used her combination of experience and talent to launch herself Writer in Residence), the into a successful career as a writer and a teacher. Berea College is fortunate to Weatherford Award for the have such a prolific artist who diligently sharpens her own craft while remaining best books about Appalachia, selfless enough to pass her tools and wisdom onto the next generation of writers. and how we’re keeping the It would prove a challenge to anyone to walk away from one of Crystal’s courses Appalachian Center’s gallery without picking up a lesson that resonates with them not only as a writer, but as fresh and alive. a human with a soul. —Chris Green, Director, Richard Childers serves as LJAC’s Appalachian Male Advocate and Mentor and Loyal Jones graduated from Berea College in 2016 with a degree in English. Appalachian Center

LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER 3 Weatherford Award Appalachian books

he Weatherford Awards honor books that “best gap in scholarship about a much-explored era using illuminate the challenges, personalities, and unique previously untold factual and observational anecdotes and Tqualities of the Appalachian South.” Granted by analysis. It draws readers into the story and will appeal to a Berea College and the Appalachian Studies Association for wide readership. It possesses a timeless quality of 47 years, the awards commemorate the life and achievements scholarship that will last.” of W.D. Weatherford, Sr., a pioneer and leading figure in Finalists for the Nonfiction Award are Paul J. Adams’ Appalachian development, youth work, and race relations, Smoky Jack , Wilma Dykeman’s Family of Earth: A and of his son, Willis D. Weatherford, Jr., who was Berea Southern Mountain Childhood , and Appalachia Revisited: College’s sixth President (1967-84). These winning authors New Perspectives on Place, Tradition, and Progress edited by were recognized at the 2017 Appalachian Studies Conference William Schumann and Rebecca Adkins Fletcher. in Blacksburg, Virginia on March 10. Fiction Award Nonfiction Award Set in a small black In this study titled Appalachian township, Crystal Reconstruction’s Ragged Edge: The Wilkinson ’s lyrical novel The Postwar Life in the Southern Birds of Opulence explores how Mountains , Steven E. Nash several generations of women chronicles the history of deal with mental illness and Reconstruction as it unfolded in complicated ties to both land the mountains of western North and family. The book, which Carolina. Nash examines bitter recently received the prestigious power struggles between white Ernest J. Gaines Award, is Wilkinson anti-Confederates who allied with Nash published by the University Press former slaves and a new market- of Kentucky. oriented class of elites who claimed legitimacy from the Wilkinson was raised in Indian Creek, Casey County, antebellum period. Nash illuminates the diversity and Kentucky. She holds degrees from Eastern Kentucky complexity of Appalachian political and economic University and . A founding member machinations, while bringing to light issues the era posed of the Affrilachian Poets and author of two short-story to the South and the nation as a whole. The book is collections, Wilkinson has spent her time as a teacher and published by the University of North Carolina Press. professor of creative writing at many colleges and Steven E. Nash was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, universities. At present, she is Appalachian Writer in grew up in Annandale, New Jersey, and currently lives in Residence at Berea College. Weaverville, North Carolina. Nash earned his Ph.D. from Of The Birds of Opulence , one judge said, “This seems the University of Georgia in 2009. He is an assistant to be the book Wilkinson was born to write. Her voice professor of history at East Tennessee State University. and this multi-generational narrative—which is both Judges said they selected Reconstruction’s Ragged Edge heartwarming and heartbreaking—blend to create a because of “its storytelling quality and for its important melody that stands out.” Another judge hailed The Birds of historically contextualized perspective. The books fills a Opulence for its “gorgeous language, metaphorical

4 LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER winners for best of 2 016

coherence [and] generosity of spirit. Wilkinson’s novel absorbs much sorrow, to be sure, but triumphs over it.” Finalists for the Fiction Award are Carrie Mullins’ Night Garden and Ron Rash’s The Risen.

Poetry Award West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman explores the difficulty of living with an awareness of the inevitable death of all living things and methods of coping with that inevitability in his poetry collection Believe What You Can . This collection is published by Vandalia Press, an imprint of West Virginia Harshman University Press. Harshman has lived his adult life in northern West Virginia, though he was raised in Indiana. He holds degrees from Bethany College, Yale University Divinity School, and the University of Pittsburgh. For the first part of his career, Harshman taught fifth and sixth grade, and for the last 20 years he has been a professional writer, storyteller, and workshop leader. Author also of 13 children’s books, Harshman is the seventh Poet Laureate of West Virginia. Of Believe What You Can , one judge said they found Harshman’s poetry to be “enduring.” They continued, “His work neither took for granted nor exploited any Appalachian stereotypes. Each poem stood on its own metaphorical and transcending ability alone, relying on no down-home domestic detail to make it relevant or social cause to carry and give it weight. It had no other agenda than to make the invisible visible.” Another said that Harshman’s collection was “a gem of a book, composed of finely tuned sentences that stand in tribute to language and this region.” Finalists for the Poetry Award are Joseph Bathanti’s The 13th Sunday After Pentecost , Kathleen Driskell’s Blue Etiquette , and Rita Sims Quillen’s The Mad Farmer’s Wife .

LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER 5 Promise Neighborhood Moving students and communities toward results

by Beth Dotson Brown and Kelli Moore endeavors. This approach resulted in significant gains, especially in children entering kindergarten ready to learn n December 2011, Berea College received one of five and students reaching proficiency in English language arts national Promise Neighborhood grants from the U.S. and math, both foundations for lifelong learning. IDepartment of Education. The grant provided the The early childhood work supported parents, opportunity to embark on a big, bold experiment—could a childcare providers and preschool teachers in developing small, private college in rural Appalachia adapt an approach their skills and raising awareness among them, and in the to education success based on an urban model from New general public, of the critical role a child’s early years play York City? The Harlem Children’s Zone provided this in his or her future ability to learn. A partnership with nationally recognized model. It put to work a holistic Save the Children’s Early Steps to School Success approach of helping young people connected home visitors with succeed that recognized students families to help parents build a need more than only academic solid foundation for learning. support if they are going to Promise Neighborhood also graduate high school then pursue encouraged transition from home postsecondary education. to preschool, then preschool to Six years later, Berea College’s kindergarten, through events that Partners for Education (PFE) is introduced parents and their sharing the results of this work children to their new schools and with the school districts and teachers. community partners in Clay, Childcare providers and Jackson, and Owsley counties. Brown teachers received support in Moore They are also building upon the increasing their skills and lessons learned in the original Berea College Promise improving the physical learning environment. “All the Neighborhood (now called Pioneer Promise training opportunities and resources that the preschool Neighborhood) to launch a new Promise Neighborhood in teachers have received have been incredibly valuable,” said Knox County. Elizabeth Norris, Instructional Supervisor for Jackson Pioneer Promise Neighborhood worked toward ten County Schools. “What we have worked to do has far results identified by the U.S. Department of Education. exceeded that which is required.” The initiative created a partnership with schools and As a result of this work, kindergarten readiness in the communities in the Neighborhood that addressed Neighborhood, determined by the Brigance Early learning needs from early childhood into college and Childhood Kindergarten Screen, increased from 16.3 supported that academic work with family engagement, percent in 2013 to 35.5 percent in 2017. Students who wellness and safety programs, and arts and humanities received specific Promise Neighborhood services achieved

6 LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER Academic Specialist Natasha Johnson works with a student at Sand Gap Elementary School in Jackson County. Academic Specialists work with a caseload of students to improve their skills in math and reading.

PFE photo

goal of every student having a device to take home, so they could create a 24/7 learning environment for students. At the individual level, Promise Neighborhood even academic specialists used data to identify students who more with 48.7 needed assistance beyond what the classroom teacher was percent of them testing kindergarten ready. able to provide. Promise Neighborhood academic Because of this work, more school and community specialists then worked with a caseload of students on groups are now collaborating to support early childhood reading or math skills. This work often evolved into a education. One example of this is in a remote area of mentoring relationship where the academic specialists Clay County. Partners for Education has launched a talked with students about their interests, the possibility Readiness Bus to engage children from birth to age five of attending college, their concerns about grades, and the and their adult caregivers in a high-quality learning factors that influenced them. If the need arose, the experience in a mobile classroom that can go to homes or academic specialist could connect the students and their areas in the community where people gather, like parents to Promise Neighborhood family engagement churches or general stores. events, safety trainings, wellness programs, or art projects. When these young children reach elementary school, As a result of this intervention, students are now they are entering an environment that is different from scoring at higher levels on state-mandated testing. In what it was prior to the Promise Neighborhood initiative. 2012, 27.1 percent of students in the Neighborhood The Promise Neighborhood staff worked with school scored proficient in math. In 2016, that number had administrators to determine priority needs in their district. increased to 39.9 percent. English language arts Those needs often included curriculum, technology, and proficiency also increased from 37.1 percent in 2012 to professional development. Owsley County Superintendent, 49.5 percent in 2016. Ed.D., Tim Bobrowski said, “The implementation of The benefits of this work, however, go beyond the Success for All at the elementary school was a huge impact numbers. “At the beginning of the grant if you asked to us. It provided a structure for the teachers.” students how many were going to college, only a few The work also encouraged schools and Promise hands raised. Now, almost all of them raise. It’s because Neighborhood staff to use data to identify needs in the there’s been more talk about college and students learning school. Bobrowski says Owsley County now has a virtual that it is accessible,” said Deann Allen, Instructional data wall that all teachers can use. In addition, he credits Promise Neighborhood with helping the district reach its turn to page 14

LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER 7 Entrepreneurial communitie in Southeastern Kentucky Creating a more prosperous future

by Rodney Wolfenbarger Institute at Berea College is partnering kickoff event held at Berea College with The Foundation for Appalachian Macke and Deborah Markley from n early August, the Appalachian Kentucky and the national Center for Center for Rural Entrepreneurship Regional Commission released a list Rural Entrepreneurship to implement an on hand to guide participants thro Iof economically distressed counties for Entrepreneurial Communities project the process and share other rural a fiscal year 2018. Counties receiving this within Clay, Jackson, Knott, Leslie, regional examples of where this m designation rank in the bottom 10 Letcher, Owsley, and Perry Counties. has been successfully employed. M percent of more than 3,100 U.S. counties This three-year initiative is funded by shared that “economic developmen based on a comparison of factors that an ARC POWER Grant provided by the most successful when other types o include poverty and unemployment rates. Appalachian Regional Commission and development precede it” and Of the 84 Appalachian counties listed as employs a field-tested process that has acknowledged that investments in distressed, 37 (44%) are located within been demonstrated to generate business and places set the stage for econom Appalachian Kentucky. Mississippi and startups, expansions, and job creation. development because they create a West Virginia have the second highest Brushy Fork Institute staff will serve environment in which business can number at 12 counties each, followed by as coaches for this program and work flourish. Tennessee with 11. closely with community volunteer teams The duo also told the audienc What would it take to move these 37 to identify and better understand local there is no quick fix for economie Kentucky counties beyond economic asset-based opportunities and build an need of reinvention. “Economic distress? A recent Lexington Herald- entrepreneurial support system. This development success requires an Leader article by Bill Estep provided a infrastructure requires inventorying what investment of leadership, time, tal tentative answer: 30,000 jobs. The article is locally available, identifying missing and resources,” Macke said. “The also cited how economic distress is pieces that can be connected through framework recognizes that each heightened in many Central Appalachian networks, and working to fill those gaps community is unique and likely h communities where residents are through regional investment and different developmental preferenc grappling with the loss of an estimated collaboration. assets, and goals.” 10,000 coal jobs since 2011. The first 12 months of the project is “Based on our study of rural Lacking adequate employment, focused on helping communities communities across the United St many residents are attempting to create organize a core team; develop smart transformative change can occur i their own jobs through starting small strategies rooted in opportunity analysis; to ten years if people commit to enterprises. According to the U.S. Small identify entrepreneurial talent within the sustained strategic action. Unfortu Business Administration, in the second community; and help connect these most communities are not willing quarter of 2015, 2401 startups generated individuals to the right resource at the the course,” Macke said. “A perce 9,133 new jobs in Kentucky. Startups right time with a goal of increasing the lack of progress during the critical are defined as new establishments hiring frequency and regularity of these period of years three to seven ofte at least one employee for the first time. interactions over time. undermines confidence and suppo To support and accelerate the The project is already well underway. The first step towards creating growth of such enterprises, Brushy Fork In June, nearly 40 people attended a more prosperous future may be ad

8 LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER es

e. Don m the p were ough and odel Macke nt is ABOVE: Beth Curlin Weber, of Troy Price, Mark Nigro and Rodney people Wolfenbarger of mic the Brushy Fork an Institute. n photo by Meredith Black ce that es in

lent, Two businesses helping revitalize Main Street in Manchester, Ky.: The Makery houses a jewelry studio and provides co-working space for artists. has Rogers is an historic jewelry store operating on es, Main Street since 1949 . photos by Rhonda Bowling

the framing and orientation toward the A Knott County, Kentucky, resident tates, problem. Macke shared a story about a recognized her own community within this n seven rural Kansas community dealing with example. “The message we send to youth has population decline—an issue of always been to move out and move on,” she said. unately, increasing importance to Appalachian Toward the end of the session, a Perry g to stay Kentucky communities that lack County resident shared his team’s vision for what ived sufficient employment opportunities for success may look like in their community: “Let us l time all residents. create a community where no one has to say I left n “They were asking themselves How for a lack of opportunity.” ort.” many people have we lost this year? Their g a orientation was toward managing decline Rodney Wolfenbarger is director of the Brushy djusting not growth,” Macke said. Fork Institute.

LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER 9 Homeplace envisioned through entrepreneurship

’ll never forget the day that I to gauge his motive than anything However, I felt an immense pressure hammered my professor, Dr. else. However, during this discussion, to perform and succeed—it proved IPeter Hackbert, with questions I became genuinely curious. to be a crushing weight. about our class and its purpose in Something that struck me and never I ended up returning home Appalachia. Early on in the eight- left was his statement, “Right now, sooner than I thought. Beyond the week program, Entrepreneurship for everyone in this room is having academic materials and trips the class the Public twenty different experiences.” I took, our Cohort had a bigger Good (EPG), I realized that each of us had different project in the works—the Daniel felt two lenses that we viewed the world from, Boone Bicycle Trace Trail. emotions and I couldn’t help but see the world Throughout the program, not only intensely: a as an Appalachian. did our lingering fear of EPG focuses on the class work outsiders and a entrepreneurial mindset in an with Dr. fierce need to Appalachian context. For example, if Hackbert, protect my the class were to be seen as a but we also newfound mathematical equation: X would be worked pride. During WHAT I’VE entrepreneurship, Y would be with Dr. my freshman Appalachia, John Fox, year at Berea and Z would former College, I LEARNED be the surgeon began to student. turned Fox develop a Many historian deeper and Breanna students in activist. Dr. Fox led the force of the Lawson stronger the class, organization, Friends of Boone connection to though, will Trace. Here’s where we come in. Dr. my Appalachian home—Pineville, one day Fox partnered with Dr. Hackbert Kentucky, in Bell County. Through replace Y and EPG to help create a multi-use classes and activities, I grew with another Hackbert trail that follows the original path of comfortable and proud of my variable like Daniel Boone as he settled and identity as an Appalachian person of Vietnam or New York, yet opened the American West. Overall, color. Appalachia is my context. When our the Daniel Boone Trace Trail While Dr. Hackbert and EPG’s EPG Cohort read the controversial stretches from Kingsport, Tennessee goal revolves around the development Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, I read it to Fort Boonesborough in of both its students and Eastern as a hillbilly. When our class visited Richmond, Ky., a near 200 miles. Kentucky, I remained wearisome of the prosperous Abingdon and Our class developed the bicycle how a fast talking man from Chicago Damascus in Virginia, I felt renewed route and its map alongside the would handle working in Appalachia. hope as an Appalachian. During my Adventure Cycling Association So, when he started speaking about EPG experience, I remained (ACA), a leader in U.S. cycling and tax bases and adventure tourism, I motivated by learning all I could to map production. The trail covers five asked a number of questions—more one day uplift my own community. counties in Eastern Kentucky: Bell,

10 LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER

TOP: EPG students with Hal Rogers Scholars, the Center for Rural Development’s flagship youth program for rising high school juniors in Southern and Eastern Kentucky. ABOVE LEFT: The Boone Trace meeting with Dr. Fox was held in the Bell Theater in Pineville, Ky.ABOVE RIGHT: EPG students with Damascus, Va. vice mayor Tim Williams.

Knox, Laurel, Rockcastle, and though, if I didn’t say it was a strange or above them, I did feel confused as Madison. Dr. Hackbert took experience to be working in my own to how I had landed there. Madison County, and four teams of home. For my team members, each Entrepreneurship for the Public five students drew to see which moment was a new experience. For Good helped uncover two worlds of county they would develop a map me, it was as if I had two lenses on: Appalachia—two sides of a poverty for. In an unexpected turn of events, outsider and insider. line. For the first time in my life, I my team drew my home county of More often than not, it felt as if I fully understood the systemic issues Bell. Again, during the program, I were looking into a clouded reality. I behind the downfall of our felt the weight of the world on my grew up poor and was raised by a mountains and their people. Yet I did shoulders. single mother with health issues. We not and do not feel downtrodden, I But here’s the aha! moment didn’t have much. For as long as I feel hope ridden. Through this when we became budding can remember, I have fought for intensive eight-week program, I entrepreneurs. Each team was what I want. So it was an otherworld experienced firsthand the movements thrown in the water and was told to experience when I landed on the of a New Appalachia, and I am swim. Guess what? We swam. In other side of Bell County. Instead of excited to return home and the midst of homework laying my head down in the projects, contribute. assignments, trips, meetings, I stayed at the Pine Mountain State projects, and presentations, our Resort Park. I met former classmates Breanna Lawson is a sophomore team developed an ACA map who had always been better off than who is exploring a Double Major in prototype through teamwork and myself as people who were now Communication and Appalachian collaboration. I would be remiss, serving me. While I never felt better Studies.

LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER 11 The Summer I Became a Not-So-Starving Artist

y summer with the Loyal Jones Appalachian cute and visually interesting. Photorealism was the goal, Center’s Studio began with redesigning a light but not an attainable one. Nonetheless, Chris liked my Mshow for a cloud constructed of beer-pong work and encouraged me to keep going. So I spent two balls. After that small design success, Chris Miller, who full weeks drawing, painting, and finishing a variety of runs the LJAC Studio, proposed another creative project Appalachian wildlife. By the end of those two weeks, I to me. His vision was to have a series of displays of beings had 20 pages of watercolor, colored penciled, and that live in the understory of Appalachia containing Sharpied Appalachian wildlife ready to be scanned into information children could Photoshop and worked with from there. understand and learn from. I was Some days I hated my work. Other days I was on board with the idea and the content with it. Those are just the feelings that go along search began for which critters and WHAT I’VE with art making: the fear of it not being good enough, plants were common, interesting, the frustration of trying to make something and it not and important enough to make the LEARNED looking like what you had visualized in your head, and gallery’s wall. After consulting the the self-criticism alone are enough to stop anyone from many books, Google, and the being a creator. I learned that it is also possible to burn Encyclopedia of Appalachia for Magenta out from creating so much. It became necessary for me to possible wildflowers, fungi, Palo take breaks from my work or I would get frustrated with salamanders, and other creatures everything I was making. It was certainly a challenge, but from beneath the brush, we made a list well worth it. I had no idea I could create a series of of possibilities. After we finalized the decision regarding wildflowers, fungi, an assortment of salamanders, the what to make, it came time to start designing. Ideas were necessary Appalachian Swallowtail butterfly, and a thrown around about whether or not we should just rip crayfish that all look like they belong together and are graphics from the internet and go from there. Neither of decently accurate to their realistic counterparts. us were crazy about doing that so Chris, having seen only After illustrating, we moved on to the design phase of one sub-par sketch I had made of the cloud for the the project. The images were scanned into Photoshop, previous project, asked me if I could illustrate the critters cropped, and thrown into a spread in InDesign. I created that would be on the displays. the layouts for the displays and finally moved past the I met him with great hesitation. I came to Berea mountainous learning curve of InDesign. I spent another because my art teacher in high school had faith in my week playing with the shape, color, layout, and ability, but I hadn’t created anything since my senior information of the displays. We continued forward to year. I was hesitant to even begin the project because I mounting, pressing, sawing, finishing, and finally had the didn’t want to be embarrassed if it didn’t turn out exactly display together. After spending nearly a month looking how I wanted, or worse, if I realized midway through that at and working on these displays, I was excited to hang I’m not a good artist. I agreed to draw a single the newly completed foam board critters to move onto salamander to start, under the condition that if I didn’t the next project. We rearranged all of the like my work, we would turn towards a different direction walls of the Gallery downstairs and to move forward with the project. made a home for the wildlife on I attempted to make the Spotted Salamander the understory of the wall. I’d illustration as scientific and accurate as possible while like to think my maintaining optimal cuteness—a challenge in and of coworkers welcomed itself. My mission was to capture the realistic anatomy the new change with and colors of the critter, while also making the illustration open arms and hearts.

12 LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER Some of Magenta Palo’s illustrations of the ‘Appalachian understory’, as exhibited in the LJAC Gallery.

This project was difficult but rewarding. I learned a changed my future plans ever so slightly. Rather than multitude of things I would’ve never even been curious following the (almost) practical and reasonable plan I had about. For example, salamanders release toxins through originally intended to follow, I am going to continue to their skin, eating lilies will make you vomit until you pass pursue art and see which road the Appalachian understory out, and watercolor colored pencils are the best thing might’ve led me down. The world needs artists as much as since sliced bread. My coworkers it needs teachers, lawyers, firefighters, and doctors. So thank and other visitors reacted to you to the Appalachian Center for pushing me to create my work with enthusiasm this summer—frogs, crayfish, mushrooms, and all—it has and encouragement, though been well worth it. I felt uneasy about it being on display at first. Now Magenta Palo is a sophomore exploring that the display has Peace and Social Justice as a Major. been up for a while and multiple people have made positive comments about my work, I am far more proud and content with people seeing it on a daily basis. All in all, I got paid to make art, which

LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER 13 Promise Neighborhood continued from page 7

Supervisor, PhD, in Clay County. Allen notes that field to serve Knox County in southeastern Kentucky. As the trips have given students new and different opportunities Knox Promise Neighborhood (serving Knox County to learn. In addition, she says there are also more teachers Schools, Barbourville Independent Schools, and Corbin today who believe that all students can learn. Independent Schools) considered the lessons from “We’ve put a chink in that cycle of poverty. Some Pioneer Promise Neighborhood, leaders decided to lives will never be the same because of the work we’ve continue the use of case management, a cornerstone of done,” Allen said. the Pioneer Promise Neighborhood that served Clay, Elizabeth Norris also recognized the impact of the Jackson, and Owsley counties. However, work in Pioneer work, especially in the use of data and the aligned Promise indicated that academic specialists did not have curriculum the schools now use. In addition, she said, enough time to fully coordinate wraparound services, “When we began our partnership, all of our schools were such as arts integration, college and career exploration, identified as Needs Improvement. Now, we have two and community service while providing daily academic Distinguished schools and one High Progress school.” support services to students. Considering this in its All three of the districts noted the importance of organizational development, the Knox Promise integrating the arts into their curriculum and in the Neighborhood will use an additional staff member in community. “We’ve had more of our embedding of the schools to handle this coordination. The Promise arts in the schools and the community. It gives them a Community School Coordinator, which is modeled after new way to express themselves and a way to experience the Community Schools’ site coordinator position, will the world as it is,” Bobrowski said. coordinate all wraparound services within a school and The big, bold Promise Neighborhood experiment has serve as the key point of contact in the community. shown that Berea College could adapt an urban model to At the outset of the Knox Promise Neighborhood, a rural area, but that adaptation required recognizing leaders also decided to proceed with a new model of some important differences in rural education. management. Pioneer Promise Neighborhood’s leadership Fast forward to December 2016, when Berea College was based at Berea College which is at least one hour received a second Promise Neighborhood grant, this time away from any part of the Pioneer Promise

Sunny the Readiness Bus reaches young children and their parents in remote Clay County communities where services for children younger than five are not readily available. The mobile classroom can go to homes or areas where communities gather, like churches or general stores.

photo by Beth Dotson Brown

14 LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER BELOW: Teaching artists integrate their work into the school’s curriculum. Students at McKee Elementary in Jackson County learn to make baskets.

photo by Natalie Gabbard

ABOVE: Early Childhood Specialist Jennifer Bryant works with Owsley County Head Start students in the classroom and in their homes.

photo by Beth Dotson Brown

Neighborhood schools and communities. Many of the genuinely excited to be a Promise Neighborhood that is school-based personnel were from the community, but serving as a catalyst and accelerant to many parts of their the vast majority of leadership was not. In the new Knox work. Promise Neighborhood, leadership is based in the Keeping the community connected to the work of Neighborhood and is from the Neighborhood, which is Knox Promise Neighborhood is a centerpiece of the already showing significant signs of higher trust and work. The Knox Promise Neighborhood leadership has collaboration. launched five results groups that focus on some key Many of the early successes in the Knox Promise elements of the cradle-to-career pipeline—from early Neighborhood have built upon the foundation of childhood through postsecondary. Initially, these another grant program Berea College received in 2014, community-based groups met every four to six weeks to the Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grant, for look at the data for their chosen part of the pipeline. Knox County. FSCS seeks to build connections and Ultimately, these results groups will review ongoing data partnerships among schools and community and reports from partners on successes and challenges organizations to improve the well being of the encountered along the way. community and the lives of students and their families “It’s an exciting time in Knox County,” said Kelly through academic, social, career, and family engagement Sprinkles, superintendent of Knox County Schools. “We services. In the two years leading up to Promise all have high expectations and a commitment to making Neighborhood, the work of FSCS developed a vast the most of this opportunity to improve learning network of partnerships that greatly accelerated the work outcomes for our students, engage our families, and on the Knox Promise Neighborhood. With so many make our community an even better place to live.” partners already committed to the work at hand, and with the addition of Promise Neighborhood, the Beth Dotson Brown is Project Director for Berea number of forces joining to make a collective impact is College Promise Neighborhood. Kelli Moore is Project growing each month. Community members are Director for Knox Promise Neighborhood.

LOYAL JONES APPALACHIAN CENTER NEWSLETTER 15 NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE Loyal Jones Appalachian Center CPO 2166 PAID Berea, KY 40404 PERMIT NO. 1 LEXINGTON, KY Address Service Requested

In late September students and professors from Berea’s male initiatives (Latino, African-American, and White Appalachian) adventured to Cincinnati to get to know each other and learn about each other’s cultures. They went to a Reds game, toured the Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and met with elders— Black, White, and Latino—from Cincinnati’s Appalachian migrant community, who shared their stories and helped Bereans to share theirs.