Eastern Kentucky group selects applicants to receive $1.5 million

(EDITOR’S NOTE: When this story first appeared in The Lazer this past week our staff had no information that the Fostering Lifelong S.T.E.A.M. Learning at the Dream Discovery Center: Morehead State University, $248,871 will be located in the Roy F. Collier Community Center in Inez. See more in this updated story.)

PIKEVILLE – The Executive Board for SOAR – Shaping Our Appalachian Region – has recommended applicants to the Kentucky Department of Local Government for funding from the Kentucky Appalachian Regional Development (KARD) Fund. Pending final approval by the Department of Local Government, the selected recipients will begin to receive disbursements within the next few months.

“We applaud the innovative forward-thinking ideas presented by the KARD applicants,” Gov. Matt Bevin said in a news release. “These projects will not only expand job creation and enhance regional opportunity, but they will improve the quality of life for our fellow citizens living in Appalachian Kentucky. Thanks to the applicants’ leadership, and the work of many others, a new day of opportunity is dawning in Eastern Kentucky.”

The state established KARD through a $2 million appropriation during the 2015 legislative session. The seed money will support efforts that include job creation and retention, entrepreneurship, tourism, broadband deployment, workforce training, leadership development, health and wellness, infrastructure and economic diversity.

“Thanks to the KARD fund, SOAR can give credence to many of the visionary community projects that have been inspired and generated by this holistic network of Eastern Kentucky leaders, resources and ideas,” U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, co-Chair of SOAR, said in the news release. “This seed funding is a reflection of SOAR’s growth into the next phase of revitalization as we work to shape the future of our region and rebound from the devastating loss of more than 10,000 coal mining jobs in Eastern Kentucky over the last eight years.”

With over $14 million in requested funding and only $1.5 million available to be recommended for disbursement, the application cycle was very competitive, the release said. The Kentucky Department of Local Government will review the recommended applicants and proceed with disbursement of grant funding and grant administration.

The projects recommended were innovative, collaborative solutions often bringing together partners that, up until now, had not worked together. In line with the SOAR mission to align local strategies with a regional vision, projects with a regional focus and collaborative approaches were prioritized over others. The Transforming & Creating the Tech Community in Eastern Kentucky project for example brought together partners including: EKCEP, Interapt, SOAR, Bitsource, Kindred Healthcare, Fullstack Academy, KCTCS, and EAST Kentucky Power Cooperative.

Here’s a complete list of recommended projects, applicants and corresponding funding amounts is included below:

· Telehealth Technician Certificate Program: Hazard Community and Technical College, $250,000

· Transforming & Creating The Tech Community in Eastern Kentucky: Big Sandy Community and Technical College, $250,000

· Fostering Lifelong S.T.E.A.M. Learning at the Dream Discovery Center: Morehead State University, $248,871.  Located in the Dream Discovery Center under construction in the Roy F. Collier Community Center in Inez, this is a regional project for Martin, Johnson, Lawrence and Mingo and Wayne counties especially. The space is still under renovation, but some of the programs will be announced next week in a release. I will make sure you get a copy. We are also hoping to partner with the school districts in these counties also, but those discussions are only just beginning, spokesperson Eric Mills of Inez said. 

“While it may not say “Martin County” in the title, the Morehead State grant award for $248k is 100% to support STEAM learning at the Dream Discovery Center… a new part of the Community Center in Inez. RFCCC will actually have a Morehead employee who is based in Inez and who will be a distinguished educator in residence coordinating the curriculum and STEAM programs the Center,” Mills said in a message to The Lazer Sunday. “More coming soon, but wanted to let you know that actually Martin County (and the region including Lawrence) was one of the big winners, both for this and the Big Sandy CTC grants. 2 of the 3 largest awards were for our area. Good stuff!!”

· Eastern Kentucky Food Collaborative: Community Farm Alliance, $148,832

· Harlan County Economic Development Authority Operations Funding: Harlan Fiscal Court, $125,200

· Strategic Economic Development Initiative: One East Kentucky, $125,000

· Pikeville Farmers’ Market: City of Pikeville, $100,000

· Wired Owsley County: Owsley County Action Team, $95,200

· City of Prestonsburg Broadband Strategic Plan & Feasibility Study: City of Prestonsburg, $78,000

· Southeastern Kentucky Final Mile Project: Perry Fiscal Court, $65,000

· Coal Fields Business Park Environmental Certification: Coal Fields Authority, $12,500

“The ability for SOAR to have input in directing this funding allows us to effectuate our 2016 strategy of aligning local strategies with our regional vision,” Jared Arnett, SOAR executive director, said. “Investing in applicants to KARD that deliver the greatest return enables us to give the shapers of our region the resources to make our regional vision a reality.”