In 2023, Shaping Our Appalachian Region launched a third cohort with the Kentucky Department for Public Health to bring Starlink Internet service to some of the most rural and isolated communities in Eastern Kentucky.
The community selected was Red Bird. It is tucked away in southern Clay County, and it is home to the Red Bird Mission and Red Bird School, which serve families in the neighboring counties of Bell and Leslie counties. Historically, connectivity here has been a real challenge given the remote and isolated location. Phone service is usually intermittent with constant outages. Outside of the Mission, the nearest Internet connection is miles away.
To solve this and to help Red Bird Mission best serve its most medically vulnerable individuals, Shaping Our Appalachian Region and the Kentucky Department for Public Health partnered to install 30 devices throughout the Red Bird community. A Starlink device was placed on the main campus as well as the nearby community center, and it provided the mission with reliable Internet, connecting the Mission and its programs to its community members, partners, donors, and other programs.
Connectivity is life-changing and life-saving
On January 6, 2024, the Red Bird School hosted the All A Regional Tournament. Earlier that morning, school officials discovered that phone and Internet services were disconnected and not working.
When the Mission installed Starlink, they implemented a plan to leverage the connectivity as an emergency backup plan if phone and Internet services were both disrupted at the school at the same time.
The emergency happened, and thanks to the planning of the Red Bird Mission and the reliable connectivity provided by Starlink, a life was saved.
Red Bird’s emergency plan involves utilizing the school’s Civil Air Patrol program, which provides a two-way radio link between the school and the Mission, where the Starlink device is stationed.
Minutes into a game, a woman passed out in the bleachers. Luckily, a member of the local EMS community was attending the game and was able to render immediate aid. That aid included communicating with the Mission since phone lines were disconnected. Red Bird is miles from any type of cell phone signal.
John Lundy, a teacher at Red Bird, was able to communicate with Kelton Adams via the Civil Air Patrol radios. Kelton leads the Civil Air Patrol program for students at the Red Bird School.
At first, the local EMS provider attending the game requested an air ambulance. That information was shared via Starlink to local EMS and was declined due to weather conditions. Following that, an ambulance was dispatched to the school through Starlink. Critical information was shared with both the ambulance and the local hospital.
When minutes mattered, connectivity was not only critical, it was essential and was the difference between life and death.
Fast forward to the following morning, John received a call that the patient suffered a heart attack and would be fine “thanks to the quick actions of those at the school.”
Champions for connectivity
Shaping Our Appalachian Region has been a champion of connectivity since its inception in 2013. The organization’s strategic plan, the Blueprint for the Future of Appalachia, has seven pillars. Connectivity is the first pillar and how it uses connectivity impacts the other six pillars.
- 21st Century Workforce
- Industrial Recruitment
- Entrepreneurship in the Digital Economy
- Healthy Communities
- Downtown Revitalization and Regional Tourism
- Regional Food Systems
In 2022, Shaping Our Appalachian Region launched its Office of Digital Equity, doubling down on its commitment to the belief that the benefits of the Internet should be leveraged by all Eastern Kentuckians. This was made possible by funding from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). Funding provided dedicated efforts to digital skilling and device distribution.
The results are impactful.
- 428 clients served
- 410 1-1 client sessions
- 40 events hosted
In 2023, Connect Humanity launched the Appalachian Digital Accelerator and partnered with Shaping Our Appalachian Region to be its Lead Community Agency for Kentucky. Through the Accelerator, the Office of Digital Equity is providing community broadband planning services to Red Bird, as well as Fleming Neon and Lewis and Robertson counties.
Increasing access is a priority. Another priority is what we do in communities where connectivity is available.
Work is not always a place you go. It’s what you do. For millions, work happens remotely.
Shaping Our Appalachian Region has earned national attention for looking at remote work as an economic development opportunity. The organization looks at it in two ways — connecting the people of Eastern Kentucky to relevant training that leads to remote careers and attracting high-wage remote workers to the region.
Let’s start with Shaping Our Appalachian Region’s training and employment efforts for those living in Eastern Kentucky.
- Partnered with Code Kentucky to provide free training for careers in data analysis, web development, and software development. This work is funded through the support of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Cabinet and a $1.45 million WORC grant from the US Department of Labor.
- Launched a Digital Skills Training Catalog in collaboration with SkillUp. This connects individuals with targeted training opportunities that are affordable and delivered online.
- Created the Eastern Kentucky Talent Network. This connects residents to jobs, hybrid and remote, with local and regional companies, as well as remote employment opportunities with employers across the globe.
- Developed a team focused on remote employer engagement and client success through the support of a $500,000 grant by Truist Foundation.
Shaping Our Appalachian Region has partnered with MakeMyMove to develop a robust Remote Worker Attraction program. A small pilot in 2023 and early 2024 proved the concept.
- 2,375 applications
- 314 applicants pre-approved based upon proof of employment, income, etc.
- 62 offers of relocation extended
- 30 accepted offers
- 3 relocations
The first remote worker attraction relocation was Pedro Morgado. He works in the financial sector and relocated to Harlan County, Kentucky from south Flordia.
Because of the success of this program, Kentucky has budgeted $1.4 million to build greater capacity around this effort over the next two years.
National leaders in rural development
Shaping Our Appalachian Region is a leader in rural development in America. It has established this reputation by getting things done. That starts with providing content around important topics relevant to communities and regions across Eastern Kentucky and Rural America. This includes a variety of e-books and plans:
- Digital Equity Plan for Eastern Kentucky
- The Remote Work Playbook for Eastern Kentucky Leaders
- Strategies to Promote Remote Worker Attraction in Eastern Kentucky
Learn more about other e-books and plans on subjects such as Entrepreneurship, Grants, Non-Profit Management, Destination Tourism, and more HERE.
Healthy economies start with healthy communities. That’s why Shaping Our Appalachian Region has partnered with the Kentucky Department for Public Health to establish a coordinator to help serve health departments and other agencies working on the frontlines of health and health disparities in Eastern Kentucky.
Connect with us
Stay connected with Shaping Our Appalachian Region with alerts, updates, and events HERE.