Happy First Day of December, here we are, the FINAL month of the 2023 year!

30 days left in the year to finalize any 2023 goals you had set when you first began this year and in case you forgot about those resolutions, who cares? A new year is just around the corner.

Let’s take a look at what is happening in our region.

Appalachian Regional Commission Offering “Getting the Grant Workshops”

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is returning its in-person workshop series, Getting the Grant: Successfully Applying for ARC Funding Opportunities.

Getting the Grant 2024 has been designed to help prospective applicants understand funding requirements and prepare to submit successful applications for ARISE, INSPIRE, and POWER. 

Those who attend this workshop will:

• Hear from initiative leads on program specifics, new and upcoming changes to the 2024 Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSAs), application review, and scoring criteria
• Meet ARC staff and discuss best practices in project development and implementation
• Learn from successful grantees on how they translated their project ideas into award-winning proposals 
• Receive training guidance on complex application components and associated requirements

ARC will be traveling across the Region to provide equal access and opportunity to both new and returning applicants.  

• January 23, 2024, 8 am – 4 pm, Renaissance Asheville Downtown Hotel, Asheville, North Carolina
• January 30, 2024, 8 am – 4 pm, Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, Birmingham, Alabama 
• February 6, 2024, 8 am – 4 pm, Morris University Center, Shawnee State University, Portsmouth, Ohio

Registration info will be out shortly, so stay tuned to see those dates in a future Weekly Roundup.

For more information, you can click HERE.

Kentucky Department of Agriculture announces annual poster, essay contest

Kentucky students are invited to enter the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s (KDA) annual Poster and Essay Contest.

The theme of the 2024 contest is “Agriculture for a Better Kentucky,” encouraging contestants to illustrate in words, original artwork, or photographs how agriculture enhances life throughout the Commonwealth.

Students in grades K-12 may submit a poster, an essay of 500 words or less, or a digital entry, which may be photos or original digital artwork. Each entry must include the actual written theme and be postmarked by Friday, March 8, 2024.

Winners will be notified by Friday, April 19, 2024. Winners in the poster and essay competitions will be selected in each grade. One statewide winner will be selected for digital artwork. 

Each winner will receive a $100 award from Kentucky Agriculture and Environment in the Classroom and will be recognized at the 2024 Poster and Essay Contest Awards Ceremony next year. 

Winning entries will be displayed in Commissioner Quarles’ Frankfort office and at the 2024 Kentucky State Fair in August in Louisville.

For more information, including complete contest rules and an entry form, you can click HERE.

Bluegrass AgTech Development Corp Challenge Grant Accepting Applications

The Bluegrass AgTech Development Corp is helping the future of agriculture in Kentucky. They are building an innovation ecosystem for farmers, entrepreneurs, and investors by expanding economic opportunities to ag-tech entrepreneurs and startups.

Their Challenge Grant program is designed to attract ag-tech businesses to the commonwealth by offering incentive funding and valuable resources to help them develop and market their technologies to investors and customers. The program will help advance technologies, products, or services that have great potential to impact food and agriculture in Kentucky and beyond.

Each applicant may apply for up to $100,000 of grant funding, and up to $750,000 of total funding is available for grants in the first year of the program. Selected grant recipients will also be offered resource support, such as mentorship, referrals to professional services, connections to local growers and research teams, and other business development assistance.

You can learn more about this grant opportunity HERE.

Appalachian Research Day Date Announced

The date has been announced! 

The Appalachian Research Day event is set for April 11, 2024, at the Ramada by Wyndham Paintsville Hotel and Conference Center in Paintsville!

Appalachian Research Day is an opportunity to join in the discussion and learn about findings from research studies that have occurred in local communities.

Community-based research begins at the local level, built upon the foundation of relationships with individuals, neighborhoods, and groups who have common questions and concerns. 

Come learn about research projects in your community and how you can get involved.

Call for abstracts, registration, and more coming soon! 

You can stay updated on this event HERE.

However, here is a chance for high school students NOW …

The University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health (UK CERH) art contest provides rural Appalachian high school students an opportunity to share what rural Appalachia means to them. 

The contest winners, their families, and school representatives will be invited to Appalachian Research Day where they will be recognized and their artwork will be displayed for the conference participants. 

Prizes will be awarded to the art departments at the schools of the winners (1st place $500, 2nd place $250, and 3rd place $100). 

UK CERH asks high school students from our rural Appalachian counties to think about what makes their community, county, and/or region special to them- what people, places, or things make rural Appalachian home. Then, draw “What Appalachia means to me,” highlighting the beauty and strength of our region. 

You can learn more about the art contest HERE.

Warrior’s Path Restoration Project is Strengthening Indigenous Connections to Eastern Kentucky

The Warrior’s Path restoration project is 5+ years in the making with efforts by dedicated community organizers in Eastern Kentucky and partners at Kentucky’s Native American Heritage Commission, National Park Service, Eastern Kentucky University, and beyond. 

The goal is to preserve the remnants of the path, increase public awareness of the history of First Nations who lived in Kentucky and the Southeast, and expand outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the trail system.

Though the group has established connections and collaborations with Shawnee people, that same link was needed with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Mountain Association is proud to support the Warrior’s Path Project working with Ryan Eller through their Business Support program and helping facilitate essential community meetings.

You can read more about the Warrior’s Path Restoration Project HERE.

Morehead Opening Warming Center Amid Cold Temperatures

The Morehead Police Department announced on Facebook that their community room would operate as a warming center through Tuesday night. Temperatures were forecast to remain below freezing overnight, with an expected windchill as low as 15 degrees.

Morehead Chief of Police Derek Blevins said anyone who needs emergency shelter from the cold is welcome to make use of the center.

Chief Blevins said, in the future, the department will proactively assess potential severe weather which will trigger the opening of the warming center.

The MPD is located at 309 West Main Street. For more information, call 606-784-7511.

You can learn more information about Morehead’s Warming Center HERE.

Do you know of any other warming centers available for people to use during this cold weather? Share those in our comment section!

Big Announcement Happening on Friday, Dec. 1st

Stay tuned to find out a BIG announcement on our social media, happening on Friday, Dec. 1 pertaining to the 2024 Startup Appalachia Pitch Competition!

Want to Submit to our Roundup?

Well, that is going to do it for this week’s Weekly Roundup!

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

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Apollo’s Corner 🐈

O, Christmas tree, 

O Christmas tree, 

nobody takes you down as great as me.

[crash]

Now for me to run from the crime scene! Don’t tell my mom!