Posts in Civic Imagination
Breaking Down Appalachian Stereotypes: How a Charity Episode of American Idol Turned Me Into a Media Scholar

It became clear to me at a young age that stories were how we learned about and connected with each other. They were a source of joy, remembrance, wisdom, and humor. But as I grew up, I realized that stories can have a dark side - especially when they’re used against you. 

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New Documentary Features Successful Magnet Program at Central High School

 A Pathway Forward tells the story and celebrates the success of Central High School’s Law and Government Magnet Program through the eyes of current students and alumni. Directed by award-winner Jesse Nesser, founder of Overseas Cowboy Films, and KTW, it provides a model for other legal communities to adopt, adapt, and sustain.

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"Home" by Hannah Drake and Kentucky Students

As the Kentucky Derby approaches viewers across the nation will hear the controversial state song, “My Old Kentucky Home,” which has been part of the Derby Day traditions since the 1920s. As a rebuttal to the state song, Louisville-based non-profit Kentucky to the World presents “Home,” a poem by local spoken word poet, Hannah Drake, that serves as a compelling response to the Kentucky state song.

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Valerie Combs: Basketball Pioneer, Community Pillar

As she rose to the challenge of being one of the first women to receive a full-ride scholarship to U of L, she would become the first female athlete to score 1,000 points for U of L. A hall of famer, an entrepreneur, and now the Director of Development for Diversity and Engagement at her alma mater, Valerie Combs continues to be a pioneer for underserved athletes both on and off the court.

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LIFE OR DEATH IN APPALACHIA: SOAR’s Urgency of Connecting Rural Kentucky to the World Wide Web

Centrally, SOAR aims to promote entrepreneurs, small businesses, educators, and, above all, residents of Eastern Kentucky as the region recovers from the decline of the coal industry. Their primary goal is to introduce a new high-speed internet infrastructure across the region, one that will provide substantial economic, educational, and health benefits.

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Bit Source Rewrites the Code in Coal Country

As our culture and economy continue to become more connected digitally, thought leaders in Appalachia have identified an opportunity to help an economy reliant on coal transition into a more technologically resilient future. From this model, Rusty Justice and Lynn Parish started Bit Source in 2014, an organization responsible for upskilling and reskilling former coal miners to make custom software and applications for clients across the globe.

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