READY Grants to Grow is a $9 million funding opportunity that will award grants of up to $500,000 to organizations seeking to build individual, organizational and/or community capacity across the region.

In many areas of Appalachia, community foundations are the only philanthropic option for nonprofits, local government entities and other community groups. READY Community Foundations provides no-cost training to help these organizations strengthen operations, programming and fundraising. Following completion of the training program, participants will be eligible to apply for…

Appalachia’s local governments are the backbone of economic and community development. With more federal funding available than ever, local governments need support to apply for these opportunities and leverage federal support to create lasting, positive change.  READY Local Governments provides no-cost training to help local government officials better identify, secure,…

With support from ARC’s INSPIRE initiative, many Appalachian communities are addressing substance use disorder (SUD) by bolstering recovery-to-work programs and related support services. Portsmouth, Ohio and the surrounding area – which includes both Southern Ohio and several counties in north central Appalachian Kentucky – is no…

Located in and around the ‘Magic City’ of Birmingham, Alabama, Jefferson State Community College (JSCC) campuses serve more than 15,000 students each year – over half of whom are first-generation college students. JSCC provides more than 33 certificates and training programs in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing,…

Like many coal-impacted areas in Appalachia, Eastern Kentucky is tackling economic transition by diversifying its economic bases and creating new opportunities. Emerging industries such as information technology (IT), computer science, and engineering have shown promise, but a shortage of IT talent was keeping the region from reaching its full potential. …

In September 2021, Frostburg State University received the state of Maryland’s first-ever ARC POWER implementation grant. The $1,480,979 award helped continue the development of the Advanced Technology Center at Frostburg’s Innovation Park, which works to strengthen Western Maryland’s economy by creating new job opportunities…

WSCC prepares students for the future automotive industry.

EdVenture is driving educational change and empowering Appalachian students.

Across Appalachia, developing a ready workforce must include helping workers re-enter and retain employment. Since 2017, the staff at the Helen Ross McNabb Center in Morristown, Tennessee, has been doing just that. The McNabb Center’s Jail to Work program gives women serving in county jails on drug offenses the…

“About 80% of West Virginia businesses have 20 or less employees,” said Alyssa Keedy, the Advanced Career Education Coordinator at the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE). Why is that the case? One reason is a disconnect between West Virginia workers and the skills needed by local employers. With many…

The Communiversity at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) Center for Manufacturing Technology Excellence 2.0, is a state-of-the-art workforce training center looking to produce trained workers for some of the world’s most technically advanced manufacturers. ARC has invested $10.7 million in the 135,000-square-foot facility that delivers training and education to support…