Strategies to Strengthen Youth Leadership and Youth Participation Opportunities in Central Appalachia

The purpose of this study was to assess opportunities for strengthening youth leadership and participation in the Central Appalachian region. In particular, authors Rebecca O’Doherty, Ada Smith, Ben Spangler, Elandria Williams, and Katie Richards-Schuster sought to understand and document the range of activities and strategies in the region as well as understand the nuances involved in promoting and sustaining youth leadership opportunities. Through interviews with key leaders in the region, they explored critical themes for strengthening youth leadership. To highlight the potential and opportunities for future development, they share a case study of an innovative approach to nurturing and sustaining youth leadership. They conclude with a set of recommendations for consideration by policy makers and stakeholders interested in developing sustainable youth leadership practices in Central Appalachia

The Lantern Vol. 69, No. 2, Spring 2002

• What was Said in the Court of Riong • Bailan Pies (Dancing Feet) • Canard • Vernacular City • Saturday Night Motorcycles • The Muse • I Stuffed my Face in the Herbs • Jacob\u27s Nightingale • At Tracey\u27s • Ona Time, a Rhym-mer • For Yo Yo Ma\u27s Encore • Two Minutes from Earl\u27s Court Tube Station • For Two • Bald • This Year\u27s Love • The Dimmer Switch • Tickertape • Imaginary Highway • First Kiss and Related Terrors • Hairball • His Hobbies • Spaghetti Dinnerhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1160/thumbnail.jp

The Woods

There is a kind of magic in providing a foundation for people’s creativity. When I was a freshman in high school, I designed a set for a local children’s theater. What I had given them was only some paint on the walls, some cut out trees, and rocks. But this enough to allow their imaginations to fully inhabit the space. Digital Environmental Design is a way of enhancing visual storytelling. The setting becomes a solid platform, guiding a viewer through a scene and enveloping them within the world presented. In this current work, The Woods, I want to bring back a bit of that child-like exploration and love for the settings of stories. In contrast to the typical American suburb, with miles of manicured lawns and pavement that I was used to while growing up, the woods was nothing but the dark wall of trees lining the subdivision, separating the known from the unknown. This only spurred my sense of adventure. Deep in the woods there was a creek. Now being a small child, it easily could have only been several meters wide, but from my tiny perspective, it was a vast river. The deepest part of the stream had large island in the middle, with a dead tree protruding out the center. On that island, I would try to build forts and create fantastical stories around me. Through The Woods, I wish to provide a space for viewers to construct their own stories, using a place much like the one I remembered. The Woods is a space I’ve created to engage the mind into joining a cooperative story-building experience. I took some inspiration from the Surrealist movement to add a sense of intrigue. I tend to be pulled between a naturalist style and an absurdist one, so within The Woods I have combined the two by creating a believable landscape with oddities strewn about to create a dream-like experience. In building this scene I learned and used skills that are employed in professional studios. I see this as an opportunity to create a project which exercises the knowledge I have accumulated throughout college. I am intrigued by how digital art can be interactive, giving the viewer a choice in how they wish to experience the art. With that collaborative capability, it creates endless possible interpretations for the viewer, giving them the freedom a create a story of own.https://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/seniorexhibitfall2020/1016/thumbnail.jp

Strategies to Strengthen Youth Leadership and Youth Participation Opportunities in Central Appalachia

Appalachia is at an economic crossroads. Coal mining is decreasing as our country increasingly relies on natural gas and other alternative forms of energy. Because of these changes, the Appalachian region has lost thousands of its most high-?paying jobs, causing other sectors to suffer—and although these industries are well known for their "boom-bust" cycles, the future of another "boom" for Central Appalachian coal is unlikely. With this economic reality in mind, everyday conversations include the region's future. What kind of economy can be made in Appalachia? What type of future do residents want? How should local governments deal with the lack of appropriate  infrastructure and educational institutions given the economic challenges already facing the region? Leadership is  essential when considering these questions