Loyal Jones Appalachian Center

Loyal Jones Appalachian Center We are dedicated to a future in which Appalachian communities seek progress through democratic participation, social justice, and environmental stewardship.

In the summer of 1970, Berea College created the Appalachian Center. Early documents state its purpose:

* To give concentrated leadership to Berea’s Appalachian activities
* To stimulate student and scholarly interest
* To bring together existing outreach programs and to guide the creation of new services
* To relate Berea College’s efforts to those of other Appalachian institutions
* To serve th

e nation as a source of information about the Appalachian Region…. Berea College President Willis D. Weatherford pushed for the Center’s creation at the request of a faculty committee. It was the first college or university Appalachian Center. Now four decades into its mission, the Center teaches courses and serves as an umbrella for a group of programs that serve the campus community and the broader Appalachian region. The Appalachian Center is also home to many programs, and you can learn more about each one by visiting www.berea.edu/ac.

Join the Appalachian Center at this year's Hellbender Festival with Kentucky Riverkeeper and meet our giant hellbender p...
09/03/2026

Join the Appalachian Center at this year's Hellbender Festival with Kentucky Riverkeeper and meet our giant hellbender puppet Benny in person! The Festival will take place on at on September 12th from 12-3pm, at Kelly's Landing (8949 Old Richmond Rd). There will be food trucks, informational booths, live animals, crafts, and an opportunity to kayak on the river! Kayak rentals will be available or you can bring your own! The event is free and open to all ages.

Come out and celebrate Kentucky's wonderful state amphibian with us!

LJAC Director In Absentia, Chris Green, hanging with Doc in Boone, N.C. In the early 90s when dwelling on Meat Camp Rd ...
09/01/2026

LJAC Director In Absentia, Chris Green, hanging with Doc in Boone, N.C. In the early 90s when dwelling on Meat Camp Rd on Snake Mountain, Chris lived just 20 miles from Watson.

The Loyal Jones Appalachian Center mourns the passing of Wendell Berry (1934-2026). Berry was an author, activist, and t...
09/01/2026

The Loyal Jones Appalachian Center mourns the passing of Wendell Berry (1934-2026). Berry was an author, activist, and thinker who had a profound impact on Kentucky, Appalachia, and beyond. Berry received an honorary doctorate from Berea College in 1983.

Rest in peace Dolly Parton. The entire world is wrestling to come to terms with this tremendous loss, and we are all jus...
08/26/2026

Rest in peace Dolly Parton. The entire world is wrestling to come to terms with this tremendous loss, and we are all just trying to find our own way of grieving. For our part, we honored Dolly yesterday afternoon by placing a black pinball in the Dolly Parton Pinball machine and rallied to put together a memorial display in her honor.

Additional opportunities to honor Dolly are in the works, but for now we invite you to comment below with a memory of Dolly, whether it be within the Appalachian Center or beyond. Consider this a space for us all to grieve together.

Look who showed up for Labor training yesterday!
08/19/2026

Look who showed up for Labor training yesterday!

Our sunflowers always bloom just in time to greet the students as they return to campus. You will find them in front of ...
08/11/2026

Our sunflowers always bloom just in time to greet the students as they return to campus.

You will find them in front of Stephenson Hall waving gently at folks on their way to class. Be sure to wave back!🌻

From Hazard KY to Knoxville TN we took a tour bus of 25 Berea College staff and faculty across Eastern Kentucky and Tenn...
07/27/2026

From Hazard KY to Knoxville TN we took a tour bus of 25 Berea College staff and faculty across Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee to learn more about Appalachia and introduce them to communities and organizations dedicated to preserving and uplifting Appalachian culture like Thompson Scholars Pine Mountain Settlement School Appalachian Arts Alliance Southeast Kentucky African-American Museum and Cultural Center, Inc. Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, Cowan Community Center, and so many more!

We are so grateful to be a part of this work.

Way to go Seth Lewis!
07/24/2026

Way to go Seth Lewis!

On the verge of dropping out in his first semester, Seth Lewis ’15 stayed because someone told him he mattered. That moment set him on a path from Berea’s work program to founding the Appalachian Student Union and, ultimately, returning home to help lift families out of generational poverty through Kentucky’s Ready to Work program.

🔗 Read More from the Berea College Magazine: https://magazine.berea.edu/berea-in-the-community/working-from-home/
📷: Crystal Wylie '05

Thank you Erica Chambers and Maddox Made for taking such wonderful pictures of Benny the Hellbender, John G Fee, and our...
07/10/2026

Thank you Erica Chambers and Maddox Made for taking such wonderful pictures of Benny the Hellbender, John G Fee, and our turtle krewe staff wielders. Our students did a terrific job in their roles at the parade and we are grateful to have these moments documented so beautifully.

Address

205 North Main Street CPO 2166
Berea, KY
40404

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