BENHAM--- Despite the common narrative that Appalachian youth are leaving the region for opportunities elsewhere, many of them are taking action to build a just and sustainable economy in eastern Kentucky. This weekend, young people are gathering at the Benham Schoolhouse Inn for the Solutions Summit, a youth-led and youth-focused event hosted by the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition. The summit is a space for young Appalachians to discuss what it means to work toward a just economic transition and talk about the importance of an economy that is good for workers, keeps wealth in Appalachian communities and protects the region's resources. Event organizer Tracy Blevins said it is important for young people to know they have the power to create the future they want for their home communities. She says the institutions and organizations currently working to transition Appalachia’s economy should make a greater effort to include young voices at the decision-making table as Appalachian youth are the region’s future leaders and workforce. Chase Gladson is in the eighth grade at Cumberland Elementary school. Gladson says he is attending the summit to learn how he can help build a new economy in eastern Kentucky. “I want to live here when I get older, this is my home. I want to have a job here and raise a family here,” Gladson said. The event includes a panel highlighting existing businesses that are leading the movement for a just economic transition as well as workshops that emphasized building grassroots power and jumpstarting the new economy. The Solutions Summit is part of KSEC’s Solutions Tour, an effort to fill the gap in economic transition efforts by amplifying the voices of young people, highlighting businesses and industries at the forefront of the transition, and giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to create and participate in the new economy. These youth are showing the state that young people are not apathetic, rather they are taking initiative to create the future they want to see. 
0 Comments
Press Rlease  Contact: Tracy Blevins - 606.264.1744 | [email protected]
Whitesburg, KY- Students and young people from across Appalachia gathered at the Boone Youth Drop-In Center on Saturday to learn about the emerging Technology industry. The “Solution Spotlight” was the first in a series hosted by the KY Student Environmental Coalition that highlight the people who are taking economic transition into their own hands by building new opportunities. Izzy Broomfield of Mountain Tech Media, a local media business, and Shawn Lind of Appalshop’s new Mines to Minds Program spoke to the role technology is playing in economic transition and how young people can pursue careers in this field without having to leave the region to find a job. “Many of my peers talk about leaving Appalachia for opportunities elsewhere, but Appalachia is my home. The mountains are a part of my life and I can’t imagine not seeing them on the horizon everyday.” said Caci Gibson a senior at Eastern Kentucky University from Middlesboro, KY. “Events like KSEC’s Solution Spotlights give me the opportunity to network with other young people who want to see Kentucky prosper and they inspire me to pursue new ideas. When we stay and work for a Just Transition, I believe we can ensure that Appalachia has a bright, just future, not just for young people but for everyone.” This series of economic “Solution Spotlights” is a part of a bigger project organized by KSEC’s Just Transition Working Group to ensure that youth voices are a part of the discussion around economic transition, that young people know how to engage in economic decision making in their communities, and to show that the new economy is not something off in the future, rather, people are already forging their own paths towards a diversified economy in Central Appalachia. KSEC is building a youth movement for an environmentally just and sustainable Kentucky. The network of students educates their peers in environmental issues, trains them in civic engagement activities and grassroots organizing strategy, stands in solidarity with environmental student groups across the state, and supports three working groups that emphasize just transition, political engagement, and local food. Press Advisory  When: April 1st
1:00pm-3:00pm Where: Boone Youth Drop-In Center 59 Madison St Whitesburg, KY 41858 Contact: Tracy Blevins, Organizer KSEC Just Transition Working Group 606-264-1744 Join the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition for our first of four Solutions Spotlights highlighting economic solutions for Appalachia’s post-coal economy. Our first Solutions Spotlight will bring out young people from across the region to learn more about eastern Kentucky’s burgeoning Technology Industry. Shawn Lind of Appalshop’s new Mines to Minds Program and Izzy Broomfield from Mountain Tech media will talk about how they see this new industry playing a role in a just, economic transition and how young people can prepare themselves for careers in technology without having to leave the region. We will wrap up the day by giving participants a way to plug into future Solutions Tour events including regional youth assemblies to learn how to engage in economic decision making. Our next three Solutions Spotlight events will highlight energy, food, and creative industries. The Solutions Spotlight series is part of our Solutions Tour, a larger effort to engage youth in building the new economy. Solutions Tour In many ways KY is leading the country when it comes to building a just, economic transition away from fossil fuels BUT young people are often left out at the decision making table. This event is part of a bigger project to ensure that young people in the region are participating in the conversation around economic transition and that their ideas and needs are considered when decisions are being made. This project includes surveying students and young people on which industries and careers they are most excited about for their communities, learning from each other about how economic decisions are being made, highlighting the emerging industries and the people behind them, and building a network of connected and empowered youth with the skills they need to build their own opportunities. Our findings from this project will be sent to local chambers of commerce, SOAR, and organizations working on economic transition to ensure that they hear from young people. Learn more about KSEC’s Solution Tour on our website. Press Advisory Youth Assembly for Just Economic Transition
As the coal industry continues to decline, youth from across central Appalachia are gathering in Whitesburg, Kentucky, this Sunday to learn about and discuss successful models of economic transition. They will also discuss how young people can be active in diversifying the local economy. This is the first in a series of youth assemblies co-hosted by the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition and the Stay Together Appalachian Youth Project aimed at providing a platform for young Appalachians to weigh in with their own ideas for creating a fair, diverse and sustainable economy. The series is the first phase of The Solutions Tour, a project of KSEC’s Just Transition Working Group. In the second phase, the JTWG will present their findings from the assemblies to coalition partners, politicians, and the public. The first assembly takes place at Appalshop’s Boone Youth Center in Whitesburg, KY, on November 20 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Those who plan to attend are asked to register in advance. KSEC is building a youth movement for an environmentally just and sustainable Kentucky. The network of students educates their peers in environmental issues, trains them in civic engagement activities and grassroots organizing strategy, stands in solidarity with environmental student groups across the state, and supports three working groups that emphasize just transition, political engagement, and local food. |
