It’s definitely been showering in the mountains and we’re not talking about the weather. With several organizations offering competitions, program opportunities, and events in the region, we are being showered with lots of good fortune!
Let’s take a look at what is being offered in the region …
Tomorrow is the deadline to apply for our Appalachian Nursing Academy!
Do you know a high school student who would like $1,500 towards their education at any university or college of their choice? What if we told you that all they would have to do is attend a summer program for two weeks at the University of Pikeville in July?
We are partnering with the Kentucky Department for Public Health to host our second Appalachian Nursing Academy.
Think of it as summer camp, but with healthcare being the theme.
An average day consists of a lesson in the morning – whether getting their CPR certification or watching a live surgery. The afternoons consist of a live panel with healthcare workers who work in our Eastern Kentucky region to discuss what their jobs are like in our mountains. In the evening, students do fun, bonding activities such as making tie-dye shirts or having a movie pizza party.
If you know a high school student thinking of going into healthcare or simply interested, please encourage them to apply!
The NEW deadline to apply is April 15th and you can learn more information HERE.
Again, the $1,500 scholarship will be given to the student once they complete the program and it can go towards any college or university of their choice!
Invest 606 Final Pitch Competition
Want to watch seven Eastern Kentucky businesses compete for $15,000? You will get the chance to do so on Saturday, April 15 in downtown Corbin at 2nd and Main.
Can’t make it in person? No worries! You can watch the competition on Facebook live, you can find that link HERE.
Second-place winners will win $8,000 and third-place winners will win $4,000.
We are wishing all of the finalists good luck in tomorrow’s competition!
Applications Open for the Appalachian Leadership Institute!
Appalachian Regional Commision is now accepting applications for the fifth class of the Appalachian Leadership Institute, also known as ALI!
ALI is a free, nine-month leadership and economic development training program that helps prepare the next generation of Appalachia’s public, private, and nonprofit leaders to build a stronger future for the region.
ARC is looking for 40 Fellows from all 13 Appalachian states — and all walks of life — for the Class of 2023-2024.
Learn more and apply by June 1, you can find the application link HERE.
Startup Appalachian Pitch Competition is Back!
Last week we only shared the location and date of when our competition is set to happen, but we have some more details to share!
Do you have Appalachia Kentucky’s next big idea?
We want to hear it… and we want to fund it.
That’s why we’ve opened the application for the 2023 Startup Appalachia Pitch Competition, presented by Community Trust Bancorp. The premier event of creators in Appalachia Kentucky will take place on June 15th at Morehead State University.
Thanks to the generosity of Community Trust Bancorp, we will award nearly $20,000 in cash prizes with first-place taking home $10,000.
The application deadline is April 28th. We know that applying for a pitch competition can be a little intimidating. It doesn’t have to be and we are here to help.
You can find the application link HERE.
Congressman Hal Rogers Announces 2023 Congressional Art Competition
U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers invites high school artists in Southern and Eastern Kentucky to compete in the 2023 Congressional Art Competition to represent Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District on Capitol Hill.
The winning artwork from every Congressional District will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building representing their home regions.
Every winning artist will receive two free airline tickets from Southwest Airlines to travel to Washington, DC to see their artwork on display.
Congressman Rogers is accepting entries for local high school students to submit their artwork until Monday, May 1, 2023.
To participate in the competition, students must first submit a photo of their original artwork along with the required student release form, by emailing them to rogers.press@mail.house.gov.
Acceptable mediums include paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer-generated art and photographs. The artwork must be two-dimensional, cannot exceed 26″ x 26″ x 4″ and cannot weigh more than 15 pounds. The winning artwork must be framed by the artist within the required dimensions before being displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building.
Students must attend high school in Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes the following 33 counties: Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clay, Elliott, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lincoln, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Wayne, Whitley and Wolfe counties.
For more information, contact the Somerset office at 606-679-8346 or email rogers.press@mail.house.gov.
You can download the student release form HERE, download the competition rules HERE, and learn more about the competition in general HERE.
Adventure Enthusiasts Unite for the FIRST Kentucky Adventure Summit!
Are you somebody who would be described as the following: an adventure seeker? An outdoor business? A potential new outdoor business? Or somebody who is ready to take their first step into outdoor recreation?
If any of the above sounded like you, you are in for a treat because the FIRST Kentucky Adventure Summit will be hosted this summer in Morehead, Ky!
What will you expect at this summit?
The summit will provide safety lessons, volunteer recruiting methods, health and wellness discussions, skills training, excursions, guided tours, how-tos, and the fifty-mile jubilee.
Registration is $50 and you can buy your ticket HERE.
The outdoors is calling to you, so what are you waiting for?
Want to Submit something for our Weekly Round?
Know of a program that needs applicants from our region?
Do you know of a grant opportunity that one of our Eastern Kentucky non-profits could benefit from?
or just have good news from your town?
Email us at: roundup@soar-ky.org
Future events to add to your calendar:
April
- SOAR EKY Gala, April 29
Curious to know the winners of the 14 awards we will be distributing?
Come find out at our first-ever EKY Gala on April 29, 2023, at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg!
You can register for our gala HERE.
*** Use promo code ROUNDUP to get $10 off your registration! ***
- Morehead Kentucky Proud Expo, April 28 – 29
Mark your calendars for the 2023 Morehead KY Proud Expo!
Kentucky Proud certified vendors from across the state will be on hand featuring woodworking, jams, wines, jellies, and so much more. Open to the public and admission is FREE!
Show times are Friday, April 28, 5 pm-8 pm and Saturday, April 29, 10 pm-5 pm. We
*All vendors must be Kentucky Proud certified. If you’d like to be a vendor, please call 606-780-4342, option 1 for more information.
You can learn more about the event HERE.
May
- 24th Annual Big Sandy Women Symposium, May 2
An action-packed day celebrating women and their accomplishments in the business world, hosted by the Kentucky SBDC.
Our very own Innovation team will be presenting at this years symposium, “Let’s get Digitial,” helping small businesses learn how to make their brand on social media!
Register HERE.
June
- Kiss the Goat Trail Race, June 24
If you enjoy trail running or want to train for something challenging, Kiss the Goat is unlike most races. You will be tested to your limits on a roughly 3.77-mile-long uphill course. Besides, what better way to treat yourself at the top of the hill than to blow a kiss to the goat? Yes, a real-life goat.
Don’t think this race is for you? Consider volunteering and spectating; you can even walk this course!
You can sign up for the event HERE.
- Bluegrass Mountain Cup, Perry County Park, June 25
A new and fast-growing trail system just down the road from downtown Hazard, KY, Perry County Park packs a lot of punch in a small area.
A bit of a climb to the top, but well worth the reward that you get coming down.
Creator of the Perry County hiking trails, Ben, and crew dedicated year around countless hours to making these trails some of the best in the state.
If you’ve not been there yet, you have to check this place out.
More details coming soon!
Registration is live HERE.