University of Kentucky Appalachian Center

09/25/2025

Great to have Dr. Carolyn Sachs back on campus and joining us for coffee hour!

09/07/2025

Helen Lewis was an incredible trailblazer of Appalachian activism, scholarship, and movement building by asking the right questions. We honor her passing this past weekend by lifting up some of her words and reminding ourselves that we can all be scholars of our own experiences:

"So if you want to study Appalachia, here is what you do.

Start where you live: Interview your elders, map your community, write your local history. Who lives where and why? Who owns the land, minerals, resources? Who is rich and who is poor? Who has power and who is powerless? Who are the story tellers, the poets, the singers? Who is in jail, who is sick, who is angry and who is throwing the bodies in the river and who is pretending it is not happening?

Who is speaking truth to power, who is feeding the hungry, who is healing the sick? Who is writing the poetry, saving the stories, saving the land, singing the songs?" - Helen Matthew Lewis

Rest easy, Helen. Your work will live on through all of us.

08/21/2025

We hope to see you on September 17 at 5 PM EST - We will talk a little more about what the Young Appalachian Leaders and Learners Committee (at the Appalachian Studies Association) is all about and brainstorm ways we can be the most helpful in engaging with one another - join us to network, share, and learn!

08/21/2025

Come see us (and Dolly) at K Week tabling at the student center till 3:30!

08/15/2025

is excited to announce the 2025 Black Appalachian Young and Rising (BAYR) Gathering, which will be held this year in Alabama, Thursday-Sunday, September 18-21st!!! REGISTRATION LINK IS IN OUR BIO!

✊🏿🐻 About BAYR: Black Appalachian Young and Rising (BAYR) is an intergenerational network dedicated to the empowerment of black youth in Appalachia ages 14-35. BAYR’s programs focus on:
Connecting youth through regional gatherings and programs.
Exposing youth to the history and relevance of Appalachia and Black people’s influence in the region.
Developing leadership by connecting youth with resources, skill building opportunities & mentors.
Amplifying young leaders already creating change.

What are BAYR Gatherings? ✨
Designed FUBU, BAYR Gatherings convene Black youth ages 18-35 in central and southern Appalachia who are excited about discussing challenges that they and their communities are experiencing and working with peers to create plans of action to address those challenges. During the gathering expect to:
✅understand how power has and continues to shape life in Appalachia, for better & worse
learn about black history in the region & beyond
✅connect with resources that exist across the region for youth (including within the BAYR/STAY network)
✅develop and practice different skills that can aid in navigating life as a black person in the region
✅build action plans that describe what’s needed to survive & thrive in the region
eat great food
✅meet lifelong friends

REGISTRATION FORM to the BAYR GATHERING is linked in our bio!!!! Deadline to register is AUGUST 24th ❤️❤️❤️

08/12/2025

Join us!

07/30/2025

07/27/2025

Come out and join us! August 1st 2025
If you have any questions contact Wayne Riley at 606-224-8111

05/08/2025

Do you know any middle schoolers in Hopkinsville, Frankfort, or Hazard who would be excited to learn about how scientists study earth and climate hazards in Kentucky? Share this with them!

As part of the KY NSF EPSCoR award that we recently received, EES is rolling out a day camp, Enviropods, to teach Kentucky kids about the tools and technologies we use to study hazards like floods, landslides, tornadoes, earthquakes, and more. By incorporating drones, remote sensing, virtual reality, GIS, real data, and hands-on activities, participants will better understand how scientists across the Commonwealth are collaborating to try to make Kentucky a safer place to live.

This year's pods will be in Hopkinsville (June 24th-26th), Frankfort (July 15th-17th), and Hazard (July 29th-31st) but we'll be expanding to other Kentucky communities over the next few years. Thanks to partnerships with the public libraries in these communities, the program is free of charge. In order to make the pods as accessible as possible for kids who would be excited to participate, lunch and snacks will also be provided and, when library operating hours allow it, an earlier drop-off can be arranged in the mornings.

Spots are still available so visit https://ees.as.uky.edu/enviropods to learn more and get your student registered!

04/24/2025

Don’t miss our End of Year & Graduation Celebration! Next Thursday, May 1, from 4-5:30 at the App Center!! 🎆

04/23/2025

Congrats Michelle!