Big Creek People in Action was formed by, and is staffed by, local citizens working to bring about a brighter future for McDowell County, West Virginia.  Based on priorities set by the community, BCPIA has an array of services and endeavors targeted at empowering families and revitalizing communities.  Residents challenged by poverty, stress, and geographical isolation are assisted through the following programs and services:

 

·         Service Learning

·         Youth Leadership

·         Volunteer Services

·         Education & Literacy

·         Special Events

 

 

SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM

 

 

Service Learning is a method of teaching through which students apply their academic skills and knowledge to address real-life needs in their communities.  Service Learning teaches the skills of civic participation and develops an ethic of service and civic responsibility. Service learning increases motivation and retention of academic skills as specific learning goals are tied to community needs. By solving real problems and addressing real needs, students learn to apply classroom learning to a real world context. At the same time, students provide valuable services to schools and communities.

In 1999, a service learning process—the Bonner Learning Initiative—was established at BCPIA.  This Initiative was created in collaboration with the Bonner Foundation and 25 Bonner colleges and universities.  Service learning is a transforming educational experience that helps young people gain a greater sense of communities, as well as the skills and commitment to stay involved in service throughout their lives.  Service learning increases the democratic capacity of young people by having them work together to analyze and respond to problems.  It provides young people with a wide range of options and opportunities and encourages them to use their current education and skills to bring about a brighter future for the area.  Service learning is also a vehicle for meeting a critical criterion for the selection of young leaders as Bonner Scholars when they apply for admission to Bonner institutions.

 

The Citizenship Center links service learning at BCPIA with Bonner Scholars and Bonner institutions.  Students have a variety of service opportunities at Big Creek from which to choose a meaningful placement.  Included are alternative college breaks, community service weekends, summer placements and internships; community and higher education linkages, and special events:   

 

q  Alternative College Breaks

During Alternative Breaks, students participate in service projects, such as participating in presentations in “Introduction to the Majors’ classes at the local High School to link Bonner Scholars and their institutions with local students and their schools. The message that higher education is possible for every student who wants it is incorporated into the presentations.  During breaks, students are immersed in the local culture by such things as tours of exhibition coal mines, tours of Coalwood—home of the Rocket Boys—and visits with community residents portrayed in Rocket Boys, the book, and October Sky, the movie.  Students are given a history of the area, as well as of BCPIA and its vision for the future.

 

With institutions that have visited us before, a listing of service opportunities is developed during follow-up visits with us. The listing is collaboratively developed with BCPIA staff and young leaders and students, departmental staff, faculty, and admissions counselors at the college.  It is then used on campus to advocate for additional involvement with our Center.  

 

q  Community Service Weekends

During Community Service Weekends, students participate in activities sponsored by BCPIA such as carnivals, festivals, bazaars, and parties.  During the weekend activities, students were given a history of the area, as well as of BCPIA and its vision for the future.  In addition, young leaders from McDowell County travel to college campuses to participate in Community Service Weekends in other communities.

 

q  Summer Placements and Internships

During summer placements and internships, students share their skills, insight and ideas with BCPIA by being involved in community service and/or research projects.  Their contributions are contemplated, utilized and interwoven into the vision, projects and services at BCPIA.

 

During placements and internships, students participate in project orientation; evaluation of their placements with pre-service surveys, weekly reflections, and exit interviews; cultural sharing; reading assignments around social justice in Appalachia; discussion of future placements with BCPIA; and solicitation to be “ambassadors” on their campuses to recruit additional students from their institutions to BCPIA.

 

 

q  Community & Higher Education Linkages

 

§  On-Campus Enrichment Projects

Youth from McDowell County participate in enrichment programs on campuses of partner colleges and universities. 

 

§  College Tours

Young leaders from McDowell County tour campuses of partner colleges and universities. The visits include tours of campuses, admission and financial aid counseling, meals at the college cafeterias, participation in on-campus events, and overnight stays on campuses.

 

§  Local Workshops & Presentations

Students and staff from partner colleges and universities link local students to their college by making presentations to “Introduction to the Majors” classes at the local High School.  The message that higher education is possible for every student who wants it is incorporated into the presentations.  Partner colleges and universities attend Awards Day ceremonies to present financial aid and scholarship packages to young people admitted to their institutions.

 

§  Campus Presentations

To strengthen relationships with institutions, presentations are be made by BCPIA to Bonner Scholars Programs and to other students interested in service at BCPIA.  In addition, presentations are made in various courses on campuses to recruit students and faculty to service learning at BCPIA.

 

 

YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

 

 

Big Creek People in Action has two programs that involve youth, The Young Leaders Action Council and the Kellogg Leadership for Community Change (KLCC) Program. 

 

 

Young Leaders Action Council

 

The Young Leaders Action Council is a group of students age 13 – 18 who want to make a difference in their community.  Our Young Leaders Program opens doors to a brighter future for young people by focusing on education and economic opportunity, just and democratic communities, and leadership for community change.  Young leaders, their parents, and allies from inside and outside the area lead efforts to remove barriers to young people reaching their full potential in this community through:

 

Education/Economic Opportunity/Poverty Reduction:  Education is key to young people moving out of poverty and having a higher standard of living when they're adults. To encourage this, young leaders will acquire education and skills that promote upward economic mobility through:

(1)  Academic tutoring and enrichment activities, seminars to prepare for college, and tours of campuses of partner institutions of high education. 

(2) Service learning projects that build healthy communities, while enhancing competitiveness for higher education; i.e. projects in education, social justice, community building, and cultural appreciation. 

(3) Linking with and being admitted to Appalachian colleges and universities that fit their skills, interests, and financial needs.

 (4) Support in transitioning from high school in their home communities to college careers in a community far from home. 

 

Just and Democratic Communities:  To enhance their ability to reach their full potential in this community, young leaders will address education and diversity, which are barriers to young people staying in this community after high school or returning to it after college graduation, through:

      (1) Education Reform

§  Leadership in an Education/Economic Development partnership between BCPIA, the KLCC Fellowship, the Young Leaders Action Council, and the McDowell County Board of Education aimed at assuring that the public education system challenges every child to her or his highest potential. 

§  Adding a youth voice in designing an Education/Economic Development Action Plan related to college preparation, teacher preparation, and place-based education; determining how to take action for continuous improvement in the Education/Economic Development partnership; resolving issues necessary to strengthen the partnership; assessing effectiveness of the partnership; and celebrating progress in the partnership.

(2)  Diversity                                                                                                    

§  Training in the values of diversity, equality, and racial justice; human and civil rights; understanding the importance of diversity in building strong and sustainable communities; and understanding the importance of all of us being committed to diversity and dismantling racism. 

§  Conducting activities to celebrate diversity and dismantle racism in our     organization and our community.  

(3) Leadership Development - Central to strengthening BCPIA and the communities      it serves is developing leadership in young people who are taking on new responsibilities. Through active membership in the Young Leaders Action Council, KLCC Fellowship, and/or the Board of Directors of BCPIA, young leaders will:

§  Be trained and mentored as leaders and problem solvers in the community.

§  Lead community-building efforts designed to build a McDowell County in    which they wish to live. 

§  Develop leadership in a process that allows them to share and analyze their problems, test their ideas, and learn from the experiences of others. 

§  Participate in training inside and outside the area. 

§  Network with other organizations in the region. 

c.         Leadership skills will be developed with our present and future young leaders and KLCC fellowship.  These youth will be trained and mentored as leaders and problem solvers in this community.  In turn, they will lead community-building efforts designed to build a McDowell County in which they wish to live.  The measure of success that would be most important to us would be to increase the number of young leaders involved in the program.

 

3.         Movement building and social change: The people of McDowell County have been oppressed by poverty, classism, racism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia for at least the last 100 years.  BCPIA is a place where folks who have been "pressed down" for so long increase their democratic capacity so they have access to decisions that affect their lives.  Social analysis and political education are incorporated into our work so that people are part of a process of building a McDowell County in which they wish to live.  People develop leadership skills by sharing and analyzing their problems, testing their ideas, and learning from the experiences of others, while strengthening themselves, their organizations, and communities.

            The Young Leaders Program promotes open human possibility, educational vitality, community vigor, and open doors to a brighter future for young people in the area.  Young people and adults are encouraged to work together to create, evaluate, and change programs designed to promote high standards of living in the area.  They are motivated, their self-esteem is increased, and they are presented with new experiences.   In the long term, the work of the Young Leaders Program will reduce the effects of poverty in the area, empower young people and their families, and promote democracy and engaged citizenship in our area.

 

Kellogg Leadership for Community Change (KLCC)

 

In 2005, Big Creek People in Action was chosen by the Kellogg Foundation as one of five organizations in the country to participate in the Kellogg Leadership for Community Change (KLCC) project in which social revitalization efforts are expended through a network of young and adult leaders.  The KLCC Youth/Adult Fellowship consists of up to 25 youth and adults with a goal to “sustain efforts in youth leadership and social change at BCPIA so that it continues to strengthen young people, their adult allies, and the communities in which they live for many years to come.”  Through the KLCC, BCPIA is expanding its social revitalization efforts by creating a network of young and adult leaders who are engaged in place-based leadership, sustainable community development, and ongoing social change.

 

With facilitation from the Youth and Adult Co-Coaches, the Fellowship has continued to stay focused on creating community-based change, improving communications, and supporting sustainability.  BCPIA has a strong core group of Fellows that have shown a true commitment and desire to make sure they fulfill their original goals, but also pass on the leadership skills and knowledge they obtained through KLCC to others in the community and beyond who were not fortunate enough to benefit from the Kellogg funding.

 

Fellows selected Education/Economic Development as its priority area and worked in youth-adult partnerships to address high quality education in our area.  Fellows began to think and act strategically and our education bureaucracy began to value individual and collective voices in the KLCC.  The Fellowship confronted, communicated with and influenced the power structure in education in the area.

 

The KLCC is a tool by which BCPIA is identifying young people and adults in our community who are committed to social justice and community change.  The Fellowship is a vehicle by which we are training and mentoring these folks, as well as observing their growth and development.  An unexpected outcome of the Fellowship was in realizing the importance of collective leadership and how important it is to have everyone’s voice at the table.  We feel as though this was the most valuable asset the Fellowship had gained from their experience with the KLCC.  Fellows have become aware that they have many gifts that are needed by our people in our communities.  This began with individuals and is becoming a collective awareness.  Experiencing firsthand the value of their voice has also given them the desire to pass the knowledge to others.  The Fellowship’s intention is to “Pay It Forward” and share this tool with other communities.  We plan to begin paying it forward with the organizations and communities surrounding our area, eventually expanding the concept outside the area.  

 

 

VOLUNTEER SERVICES PROGRAM 

 

Big Creek People in Action hosts volunteer church and college groups throughout the year who want to make a difference by giving their time and energy to our community.  Our Volunteer Services Program gives people the opportunity to turn their special talents and abilities into positive action.

 

The third floor of our center has dormitory style rooms, showers, restrooms, and a Chill Room for volunteers to relax after a hard day’s work.  Groups also have access to our kitchen facilities to cook their meals.

 

Applications are taken by BCPIA staff of home repairs needed by the elderly, poor, or disabled residents of Big Creek District.  Staff visits the homes and decides if our groups can do the job, and if so, what supplies are needed.    Work groups are matched to projects that they have the skills to work on.  Some groups can only paint or clean, while other groups bring certified contractors with them that can do roofing, electrical, carpentry, and other skilled labor.

 

Another aspect of our Volunteer Services Program is cultural immersion.  We introduce our college students and church groups to traditional Appalachian music, flat-footing, community tours, visits to the Bluegrass Hall and Muncy Cabin, tours of local coal mines, and conversations with local people who tell their stories of “life in the coalfields.”

 

BCPIA assists people in providing safe, warm and dry homes for their families through housing rehabilitation.   Safe, warm and dry—this is our motto, adopted courtesy of a faith-based group that comes to our Center year after year.  It is the perfect description of how we feel about the work we do.  All families deserve to live in a home that is safe, warm and dry.  However due to age of structures and limited resources in families, this is not always within their ability to attain.  In addition, our efforts in housing rehabilitation not only helps people with their home repair needs but brings people into the area from all over the US.  During visits, groups of people gain teamwork and leadership skills, and learn about the importance of volunteerism and cultural sharing.

 

 

EDUCATION & LITERACY

 

BCPIA’s Education & Literacy Program recognizes that education is a lifelong process. Opportunities should always be available to individuals who seek to further their education and expand their knowledge.   Literacy programs provide participants with foundational education skills that have significance in their lives. The skills participants gain are related to their family, education, employment, civic, and personal goals.

 

Education affects our society profoundly. Quality education and educational achievement enable us to lead productive lives as family members, citizens, and workers. Education empowers individuals to take advantage of economic opportunity where less educated members of the workforce may be left behind. A solid grasp of foundational education skills is necessary to work successfully at almost any job and to pursue further job training. Education is also a key component to effective participation in civic life, giving us the knowledge to have our voices heard as citizens of our local, state, and national communities. Furthermore, educational achievement has an intergenerational quality. Parents who have a solid background in basic educational skills, such as reading, writing and math, are able to help their children learn and can pass on their appreciation for knowledge to the next generation.

 

We have an AmeriCorps VISTA and two AmeriCorps Reading Coaches who work one-on-one with children and adults to help them attain better reading skills.   AmeriCorps members organize classroom enrichment activities through Read-Alouds, Science Fun Days, and other special projects at the Elementary and Junior High schools and Head Start Centers.   Enrichment activities for adults include Parent Workshops, nutrition workshops, Parents Read in Schools Monthly (PRISM) activities, and Family Fun Nights which help parents have more confidence in assisting their children to gain basic literacy skills.

 

Big Creek People in Action also has a Job Training Program for those placed here by the Department of Health and Human Resources to perform community service in order to get their welfare checks.  In addition to the service they provide to the Center, the participants are taught job skills such as computer literacy, resume writing, job searches, telephone etiquette, and other skills to help them obtain a job and move into the workforce. 

 

Community Education classes are held at the center including coal mining classes, hunter safety classes, and other trainings to educate the community.

 

 

SPECIAL EVENTS PROGRAM

 

 

One of the most important and effective strategies for shaping the culture of any organization is celebration.  The celebrations, ceremonies, and rituals of an organization reveal a great deal about its culture – how its people link their past with their present, what behaviors are reinforced, what assumptions are at work, and what is valued. 

 

We sponsor many Special Events throughout the year including:

 

Diversity Day – Promotes and encourages the community to embrace the diversity our mountains hold.

 

Senior Citizen Dinners – An event usually around Easter to serve a part of the community that are often overlooked. 

 

Spring Carnival – A day of fun and games for the whole family.

 

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner – To recognize community volunteers.

 

Mountain Music Festival – Live music on the outdoor stage all day, along with games, food, and dancing to celebrate the Appalachian culture.

 

Veteran’s Appreciation Dinner – Dinner, speakers, and displays of military photos, etc. to honor our local veterans

 

Christmas Party – Parties are held for the children and the Senior Citizens with gifts, dinner, food boxes, and Santa as we celebrate the holiday season.

 

Family Fun Nights – Food, family, and fun to increase family reading skills.

 

 

The importance of celebrating individual and collective accomplishments has been cited as a major factor in influencing organizational culture, an essential strategy for enhancing organizational effectiveness, and a necessary condition for creating a learning community.  It is an area that must not be overlooked in the process of shaping an organization and that organization’s tie to its community.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Big Creek People in Action assists families to become self-sufficient, gain a higher standard of living, and be engaged members of this community through our many programs and services.   By partnering with families to meet their needs in education and literacy, housing rehabilitation, hunger reduction, and celebrations of family and community, strong and continuing relationships are built with families that influence the current, as well as the next generation.  Through our collective efforts, families are motivated, their self-esteem is increased,  and they use their education and skills to strengthen themselves and their communities to bring about a better tomorrow for McDowell County.