Berea College
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Founded in 2009 by John Paul Dejoria, Grow Appalachia focuses on providing resources to poverty stricken families in Appalachia so they can grow their own food through small-scale agriculture. This has the added benefit of providing real entrepreneurial experience, as families are encouraged to sell their surplus crops to local farmer's markets or to begin their own small business. David Cooke, an employee of Berea College, has built up the partnership between Dejoria and Berea College so that Berea College hosts Grow Appalachia and is the foundation for its outreach. Throughout the years, thousands of people have been reached, and many jobs have been created in the region. According to the Grow Appalachia website, "In 2015, during what could be described as the most difficult growing season to date, we distributed resources to 40 partner sites in more than 50 counties, serving 1570 families and 4644 gardeners. More than $80,000 worth of produce was sold at market by 159 families. Total harvest numbers exceeded 580,000 pounds, with 61,091 pounds of produce shared. 120 jobs were created in the region and $780,000 worth of resources were leveraged by our partner site organizations." Additionally, the benefits of small-scale farming ensure that minimal ecological damage is felt in the areas in which Grow Appalachia operates, and respect for families and the land is maintained through sound growing and harvesting practices. Website: https://growappalachia.berea.edu/

Partners for Education at Berea College braids services and aligns funding streams to fulfill the organization’s mission: All Appalachian Kentucky youth succeed in school. Programs such as AmeriCorps, GEAR-UP, and Upward Bound are utilized to provide students with learning resources that supplement and enhance classroom learning, which would not otherwise be available if these areas of learning were not targeted. Mentoring, Tutoring, college prep, summer and after-school programs, and health education are resources most commonly applied at the individual school level. Teachers and administrators at each location are engaged to ensure that resources are provided that students actually need and will use. According to the website, "through a suite of programs, Partners for Education leverages $25.8 million each year. This goes to serve 35,318 young people and their families." This program contributes to social and economic sustainability by partnering with schools to provide their students with these necessary learning experiences. Website: https://www.berea.edu/pfe/

Sustainable Berea was founded by a Berea College Faculty member who saw the need for additional outreach in the Berea, KY community in terms of practical, sustainable living. Sustainable Berea regularly partners with various Berea College departments and programs to enhance student understanding of ecological and social justice issues, while completing projects that serve the larger community. Specific events and projects include the provision of internships for Berea College students to be able to work at the Berea Urban Farm (a major project of Sustainable Berea) and the annual Victory Garden Blitz, in which student organizations and community members come together to install raised garden beds in the city of Berea. In the past, nearly 75% of the garden beds installed were sold on a sliding scale basis, making the beds more affordable to lower income home-owners. Workshops are led by Sustainable Berea volunteers to educate community members and students about ecological stewardship, including how to engage in small-scale gardening, care for pollinators, and the importance of sustaining natural ecological services. Website: www.sustainableberea.org

The Berea College Center for Excellence in Learning through Service (CELTS) facilitates service oriented programs that meet the needs of local communities members, as an aspect of social sustainability. These programs include outreach to food banks and food drive initiates to fight hunger, tutoring and mentoring programs in cooperation with the local community school system, and partnership with the local branch of Habitat-for-Humanity. Berea College students have labor positions through CELTS that allow them to serve in these capacities. Students are also required to serve a minimum number of volunteer hours with these various organizations.

https://growappalachia.berea.edu/ https://www.berea.edu/pfe/ www.sustainableberea.org https://www.berea.edu/celts/community-service-programs/volunteer-opportunities/