Led by Partners for Education at Berea College, the Appalachian Kentucky Service Year Impact Community works to improve outcomes from cradle to career with a results-based collective impact model in 54 Appalachian counties. Service years are a key strategy for improving student outcomes and training the future workforce for the state.
Lead organization:
Partners for Education at Berea College
Focus issues:
- Education
- Economic development through workforce development
Current number of service years in impact community:
321
Current number of service year programs in community:
17 programs
Growth goal:
By the end of 2025, 500 service year opportunities to increase educational outcomes will be available.
How service years have/will help your community address local challenges: “We know that interacting regularly with positive role models contributes to successful school experiences, high school graduation and college going,” said Dreama Gentry, executive director of Partners for Education. “By having an increased number of people engaged in service years, our youth will see and interact with an even greater range of role models.”
Joshua Ball, associate executive director of Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), spoke about the impact service year opportunities can have for the economic future of the region. "If we don't accomplish your call to action, we will never see the 21st century Appalachia we all want."
How working with Service Year Alliance/being a member of the Impact Community Network has been helpful:
“Being a member of this incredible network aligns us with experts from around the country that are advocating for service years and increasing service year opportunities in their individual communities,” said Jenna Meglen, associate director of rural impact at Partners for Education.
