WASHINGTON, D.C. —The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford was one of 15 colleges and universities to attend the 19th annual Appalachian Teaching Project (ATP) Symposium in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) on Dec. 6–7.
The symposium’s primary framing question is “how do we build on community assets to shape a positive future for Appalachia?”
To prepare for the ATP Symposium, student delegations are enrolled in a for-credit academic course to design and lead research projects in Appalachian communities to address regional challenges. Each ATP project focuses on one of five themes: outdoor recreation & tourism development; workforce barriers, community health and the opioid crisis; community development through cultural heritage and the arts; community planning and asset development; and Appalachian waterways and parks.
As a capstone for the coursework, students and their faculty sponsors travel to Washington, D.C. to present their work to other student delegations, ARC leadership, and community leaders at the Symposium.
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford students presented “What’s for Dinner? Examination of food insecurity in a rural northern Appalachian community.”
Pitt- Bradford students collaborated with Metz Culinary Management, the Panther Pantry, and the Office of Community Engagement to assess food insecurity and food resource utilization at a rural northern Appalachian university. Food insecurity can affect physical and mental health and wellness among college age students and can negatively impact educational success. Decreased academic performance and truncated academic pursuit linked to food insecurity may also have negative consequences on community composition and the availability of a ready workforce.
At institutions which serve proportionally large numbers of first-generation and Pell eligible students, this impact may be especially acute. Veterans, LGBTQ, and older students may also be disproportionately affected. This student-driven project worked with the university and the local community to assess levels of food insecurity, perceived levels of health, and food resource availability and utilization. Students obtained baseline data on the scope and impact of food insecurity in this community and developed suggestions to strengthen available resources through collaboration with community partners. Data obtained will also support the procurement of external funding to help to assure sustainability.
“I am very proud of the 150 students in Washington, D.C., this week to continue their important coursework on building a better future for their communities,” said ARC Federal Co-Chairman Tim Thomas. “These students are engaged in work that benefits an entire region, and I am looking forward to their presentations. I also want to recognize the important work the 15 institutions represented this week, representing a full spectrum of higher learning institutions in our region, do year in and year out for thousands of students across our region.”
Student delegations from 15 schools in 11 Appalachian states featured at the 2019 ATP Symposium this year include: Alfred State College, Alfred, N.Y.; Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C.; Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.; East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tenn.; Fairmont State University, Fairmont, W. Va; Frostburg State University, Frostburg, Md.; Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pa.; Ohio University, Athens, Ohio; Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, Cumberland, Ky; Union College, Barbourville, Ky; University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, Ga.; University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Bradford, Pa.; University of Tenn., Knoxville, Tenn.; Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va; and Young Harris College, Young Harris, Ga.
Summaries of each research project are available at www.arc.gov/atp.
