ARC Grants Awarded to Projects in Ross, Scioto & Athens Counties
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(Columbus) – The Ohio Department of Development Director has announced that more than $8.2 million in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) will be directed toward eight projects in Ohio that support workforce and economic development in communities impacted by the downturn of the coal industry.
In our region on interest, grants are coming to Shawnee State University in Scioto County, Adena Local Schools in Ross County, and a museum honoring people of color in Athens County.
$1,999,092 is going to the Shawnee State University Advanced Manufacturing Center: An Investment in Our Future project. The project aims to strengthen the advanced manufacturing workforce in 10 counties in Southern Ohio and Northeast Kentucky with the renovation of a training center housed at Shawnee State University. It will also fund costs related to Manufacturing on the Move, a K-12 career exploration program designed with local employers to ensure alignment with industry demands so that participants can develop the skills required for employment. This project will serve 3,400 students, improve 3,350 students, serve 12 businesses, improve eight businesses, and renovate 8,700 square feet over the span of three years.
$40,000 to Adena Local School District in Frankfort, for the Adena Works: Empowering Tomorrow’s Makers project. The project aims to create a transformative coalition of stakeholders, manufacturers, and other community entities that will identify the STEM workforce development and training needs of at-risk populations, including underserved, unemployed, substance-use-disorder–impacted, veterans, nontraditional, youth, and homeless populations. As a result of this project, Adena and their partners will develop three plans: a needs assessment to identify local skill gaps, business needs, and workforce and training needs; a sustainability plan to identify strategies for cost efficiencies, leveraging resources, and training demands for a skilled labor workforce; and a strategic plan that will inform a future implementation plan, as well as the development of a manufacturing lab to provide STEM education for these at-risk populations.
ARC grant of $40,427 to the Tablertown People of Color Museum in Stewart, for the Connecting Black Heritage, From Enslavement to Settlement in Southern Ohio project. The project will develop a plan
for a Heritage Trail that connects significant Underground Railroad and Black heritage sites across six Southeastern Ohio counties, with the goal of registering the sites with the National Park Service’s “Network to Freedom” marker program. The plan also includes development of a virtual tour, displays and exhibits, and digital and print materials that can be used for teaching, training, and hosting events. The project expects to produce one plan, providing a roadmap for implementation that will connect tourists to places, artifacts, and activities in southeast Ohio that authentically represent the story of the Underground Railroad and related Black heritage.
The funding is part of the federal Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative to help address coal-related job loss in the Appalachian region. The Governor’s Office of Appalachia, a division of the Ohio Department of Development, worked with local development districts in Ohio’s Appalachian region to identify projects that could qualify for funding and aid in the federal application process.
“In Ohio, we are making significant investments into our Appalachian region, creating a better place to call home, attracting new businesses, and supporting sustainable economic growth,” said Governor DeWine, who serves as a member of the Appalachian Regional Commission. “This funding will support our work to help ensure all Ohioans have the opportunity to live up to their God-given potential.”
Funding will be used to strengthen a variety of industries, such as advanced manufacturing, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and workforce development and will enhance job training and employment opportunities, create jobs, and attract new sources of private investment in coal-impacted communities.
“These funds will support community strategies to build new industries and equip local residents with the skills needed to benefit from upcoming economic development projects,” said Lt. Governor Jon Husted. “Creating new jobs and the accompanying prosperity requires strategic planning and investment. I hope these grants will help implement successful strategies in these communities.”
“By making defining investments like these, Ohio is creating a more vibrant economic future for the people who call Appalachia home,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development. “The projects we are announcing today showcase the power of collaboration between local, state, and federal governments, as well as private organizations. By investing in local infrastructure and small businesses, we’re creating jobs and driving sustainable economic growth that will benefit generations to come.”
“ARC’s POWER initiative supports coal-impacted communities’ preparation for the next phase of Appalachia’s economy, while ensuring that residents have a say in the course of their own futures,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “The investments announced in this round of POWER will help train workers, advance new industries, and build upon the progress already being made toward a brighter future full of economic opportunity for our region.”
This latest announcement is the ARC’s largest POWER investment since the initiative was launched in 2015, with projects impacting 188 counties in 10 Appalachian states.
