The second round of 2021 INvestments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) grants expand on collaborative recovery-to-work efforts to help Appalachian communities, businesses, and individuals succeed.WASHINGTON, D.C., November 16, 2021—Today, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded $5.5 million to 17 projects through… Read More

President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) today, which includes $1 billion over five years for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), starting in FY22 with $200 million. The funding through IIJA is in addition to ARC’s pending appropriation of $210 million through the FY22 Energy & Water… Read More

Incorporating feedback from over 1,800 Appalachian stakeholders, the new strategic plan provides a roadmap for accelerating economic growth in the Region.     St. Paul, Va., October 6, 2021—Today, during the opening plenary of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)’s annual conference in St. Paul, Virginia, Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin provided a preview of ARC’s new 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. The strategic plan, Appalachia Envisioned: A New Era of Opportunity, is… Read More

 Class Includes 40 Fellows Representing Variety of Disciplines and Backgrounds from 13 Appalachian States    WASHINGTON, D.C., September 28, 2021—Today, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced 40 Fellows who will be participating in the third class of the Appalachian Leadership Institute. The class represents Appalachia’s 13 states and includes professionals who live… Read More

ARC’s largest POWER grant package to date will leverage entrepreneurship, workforce development, and infrastructure to bolster re-employment opportunities, create jobs in existing or new industries, and attract new sources of investment.  MATEWAN, WV, September 16, 2021: Today, during a virtual event co-hosted by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Interagency Working Group… Read More

Program will help Local Development Districts and local elected officials consider ways to strategically use American Rescue Plan Act funding to bolster long-term economic health of Appalachian communities.   WASHINGTON, D.C., August 9, 2021—The Appalachian Regional Commission invites proposals from qualified organizations to design and execute a program titled “Community Capacity-Building Pilot” to help Local Development Districts (LDDs) and local elected officials strategically deploy… Read More

On July 29, the U.S. House passed the FY22 Energy & Water Development Appropriations Act which includes $210 million for ARC. This appropriation includes $65 million for POWER, $10 million to continue a program of broadband deployment in distressed counties in Central Appalachia, $16 million for a program of basic… Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 15, 2021—The Appalachian Regional Commission is proud to announce that 38 fellows graduated from the Appalachian Leadership Institute, a leadership and economic development program sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Members of the Class of 2021, along with their… Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 13, 2021—The Appalachian Regional Commission invites proposals from organizations within the Appalachian Region, including non-profits, institutions of higher education, and other stakeholders, to work in partnership with ARC on the programming, curriculum development, and execution for the Appalachian Entrepreneurship Academy (AEA). AEA helps high school students in the Appalachian Region strengthen their business and entrepreneurial thinking skills, in preparation… Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 8, 2021—The Appalachian Regional Commission is proud to announce the graduation of its first group of nonprofit leaders from the Appalachia Nonprofit Resource Center. Representing 12 of the 13 states in the Appalachian Region, the 159 participants from 95 organizations successfully completed a… Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 23, 2021—This summer, nearly 100 Appalachian students are paving the way for educational growth and entrepreneurship in the Region by engaging in two of ARC’s four Academies & Institutes. Twelve students graduated from the Appalachian Entrepreneurship Academy (AEA), while 84 students and two… Read More

“The Chartbook” features more than 300,000 data points on Appalachia’s economy, income, employment, education, and other indicators to serve as future baseline for COVID-19 analysis. WASHINGTON, D.C., June 10, 2021—Data from the 11th annual update of The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2015–2019 American… Read More

Contact: Janiene Bohannon WASHINGTON, D.C., May 28, 2021—President Biden’s FY 2022 Budget Proposal, released today, requests $235 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), and the American Jobs Plan includes an additional $1 billion for ARC’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative, a competitive… Read More

Washington, D.C., May 6, 2021–Gayle Conelly Manchin was sworn in today as the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) thirteenth federal co-chair, becoming the first ARC federal co-chair from West Virginia. Nominated by President Biden, Manchin will work directly with ARC’s 13 member governors, their state alternates and program managers, and a network of local development districts to continue to… Read More

INvestments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative Focuses on Recovery-to-Work Efforts as Part of Recovery Ecosystem WASHINGTON, D.C., April 1, 2021—Today, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded more than $9.4 million to 30 projects through INvestments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE), an initiative addressing Appalachia’s… Read More