Get Involved

How will you connect?

At the Appalachian Center for Civic Life, we believe you have the skills, knowledge, and understanding to be an active and engaged citizen of this place and to make a meaningful difference in the community. Check out the project opportunities below or stop by and see us to learn how you can connect your passions to civic engagement!

Civic Leader Scholars work with Rivers Way Civic Leader Scholars work with Rivers Way

E&H Students and members from the community come together to engage in interactive exercises at C.H.A.T.S.. E&H Students and members from the community come together to engage in interactive exercises at C.H.A.T.S..

Ongoing Civic Engagement Projects

Want to make a difference while at Emory & Henry? Get Involved in any of the projects below.

First year student, Ryan Vaughn, working on digitizing interviews for the Appalachian Oral History Project. Student Ryan Vaughn, working on digitizing interviews for the Appalachian Oral History Project. Over the course of many years, students, faculty, and community members conducted and recorded personal interviews with thousands of citizens across the region. The Appalachian Center for Civic Life has embarked on a project to digitize Emory & Henry’s portion of the oral history collection. Access the digital Appalachian Oral History Project collection here.

Mount Pleasant Preservation Society works to preserve and tell the story of African American life, culture, and history in Marion and Smyth County, Virginia.

Student volunteers work to organize, catalog, digitize, and archive documents related to African American history and life in Smyth County, Virginia

To learn more about the work Mount Pleasant Preservation Society is doing, check out this video.

First year students work with local organization to clean up trails. First year students work with BRDC to clean up trails. Blue Ridge Discovery Center is a non-profit organization located in Troutdale, VA that is dedicated to exploring, discovering and sharing the natural history of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Center does this through a variety of programs and projects including: School Programs, Summer Camps, Naturalist Rallies, Research, Restoration, and most recently, through their Field Station and Group Campground. Learn more on their website.

Our students have worked with BRDC on trail maintenance and removal of invasive species.

ePortfolio created by members of the Social Justice Project. ePortfolio created by members of the Social Justice Project. The Social Justice & Action Project has the long term goal of producing students that are actively engaged as lifelong citizens by addressing issues affecting the local community.

Students volunteers involved in this project will be paired with a local community organization already doing work around social issues.

Appalachian Community Connectors Logo Appalachian Community Connectors, an organization based in Marion, VA, is a group of people of all kinds willing to reach across every aisle; coming together for community centered projects and conversations focused on learning, understanding, and loving our neighbor.

Emory & Henry students are welcome to join the group for their monthly meetings as well as any of their projects.

Through the hard work of many students and faculty, the Emory & Henry Garden yields hundreds of pounds of produce every year.

This food “serves four Head Start early childhood development programs, local restaurants and even E&H students at the cafeteria.”

Learn more about the E&H Garden on their webpage or follow along on their social media.

Even if you aren’t taking a class that works in the garden, you can still help as a volunteer.

Blue Mountain Therapy Equine Therapy Program The Barns at Blue Mountain provides equine assisted services to individuals ages 6 and up for therapeutic riding and at-risk teen programs. They serve those with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities, and mental health needs. They provide support and a social worker to work with the entire family to meet their basic and medical needs.

They need volunteers to help lead horses, be side walkers for therapy rides, and provide general care to the horses.

Stinger’s Supply Shelf is a free resource for all E&H students. Here students can pick up a meal, snack or the ingredients to prepare a meal with no questions asked. A wide variety of toiletries, personal hygiene products, and school supplies are also available.

To learn more about the Stinger’s Supply Shelf, check out the website.

Student volunteers will help educate, promote, and maintain the Stinger’s Supply Shelf. We are always looking for creative and new ideas to meet the needs of our students on campus.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Experience is a consortium being developed to support the promotion and help develop the capacity of the museums and historical societies of SWVA.

There are two main goals of the project. The first is to develop and maintain promotional materials (website, mobile app and print brochure) promoting the museums of SWVA. The second is to support coordination, partnerships and capacity building opportunities so that the museums can collaborate more effectively.

Students in the CVIN 250 course work collaboratively with Tal to create a video for the Watershed Advisory Board. The Watershed Project is an interdisciplinary digital scholarship project designed to broaden civic memory and increase civic capacity in Southwest Virginia. The long term goal is to develop a public-access digital educational resource.

There are many ways for students to get involved in the ongoing work of the Watershed Project.

If you are interested in joining the team, fill out the Watershed Project, Skills & Interests Form.

Partners For Stronger Communities Logo Partners For Stronger Communities is one of the first crisis centers to serve the state of Virginia, and addressed a wide range of community issues such as substance use, family issues, and mental health struggles.
Students who are involved in this project will work alongside PFSC in fulfilling their mission of providing service to vulnerable and marginalized residents in our community. PFSC also serves survivors of domestic, dating, and sexual violence, as well as addressing issues of poverty and homelessness in the region.

Participants in River's Way make posters to root on the E&H Football Team Participants in River's Way make posters to root on the E&H Football Team River’s Way is a wonderful organization whose mission is to provide opportunities for youth and young adults with differing abilities to grow as individuals while making positive contributions to their community.

To learn more about River’s Way, check out their website.

River’s Way and E&H have a long standing relationship that continues to grow. Each semester, we host River’s Way for on-campus day or weekend events where participants enjoy doing crafts, watching sporting events, playing games, and fellowshipping with E&H students.

We always welcome new volunteers who would like to participate in the planning or implementing of these events.

Communities In Schools of Southwest Virginia Logo Communities In Schools is a dropout prevention organization that the Appalachian Center recently created a partnership with. The mission of Communities In Schools of SWVA is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Learn more about Communities in Schools on their website.

Together, we are developing a one-on-one mentorship program with local elementary and (eventually) middle schools students. We hope to expand the program to include on campus events involving our students and theirs.

Based out of Damascus, VA, the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club is responsible for maintaining a 60 mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

In addition to trail maintenance, the group also does work with preserving native species, removing invasive species, and repairing structures along the trail.

This organization is run solely by volunteers, including some E&H students. Our partnership is new and one we are hoping to grow. All are welcome to join.

Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority Logo Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority is the premier low-income housing provider in the City of Bristol, VA.

BRHA has Public Housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. In these two programs, people are able to be stably housed.

E&H students are working alongside BRHA in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, creating marketing materials, conducting surveys, and analyzing data.

If you are interested in getting involved in a project or organization, contact Leah Wilson at lmwilson@emoryhenry.edu.

Civic Leader Scholars

Civic Leader Scholar Retreat Spring 2022 Civic Leader Scholars is a student organization that anyone is welcome to join. Civic Leader Scholars work to raise awareness about social issues on campus by planning and carrying out lyceum events and civic engagement projects, all while designing reflection activities that give participants the opportunity to connect what their learning and doing with long-term solutions to social problems.

Apply to join Civic Leader Scholars

Connect with us:

Do you have an idea for a different project? All ideas are welcome!

Contact Leah Wilson – lmwilson@emoryhenry.edu

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<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/3408-emory-henry-recognizes-those-who-are-committed"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2662,2134/15632_Hope-Awards-2024.rev.1712930829.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2662,2134/15632_Hope-Awards-2024.rev.1712930829.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2662,2134/15632_Hope-Awards-2024.rev.1712930829.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2662,2134/15632_Hope-Awards-2024.rev.1712930829.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2662,2134/15632_Hope-Awards-2024.rev.1712930829.jpg" alt="Hope Award recipients" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2662,2134/15632_Hope-Awards-2024.rev.1712930829.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,0,2662,2134/15632_Hope-Awards-2024.rev.1712930829.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2131" data-max-h="2134" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/3408-emory-henry-recognizes-those-who-are-committed">Emory & Henry Recognizes Those Who are Committed to Service with Hope Awards</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p> The Hope Awards were recently presented by the Appalachian Center for Civic Life at Emory & Henry to six outstanding members of Emory & Henry College faculty, staff, a graduate and an undergraduate student, a community member and an organization or service project.</p><a href="/live/news/3408-emory-henry-recognizes-those-who-are-committed" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2918-emory-henry-college-receives-200000-gift-from"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2070,1548/13933_Elizabeth_H._C._Russell_House_at_Saltville.rev.1683302488.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2070,1548/13933_Elizabeth_H._C._Russell_House_at_Saltville.rev.1683302488.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2070,1548/13933_Elizabeth_H._C._Russell_House_at_Saltville.rev.1683302488.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2070,1548/13933_Elizabeth_H._C._Russell_House_at_Saltville.rev.1683302488.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2070,1548/13933_Elizabeth_H._C._Russell_House_at_Saltville.rev.1683302488.jpg" alt="Elizabeth H. C. Russell House at Saltville" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2070,1548/13933_Elizabeth_H._C._Russell_House_at_Saltville.rev.1683302488.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2070,1548/13933_Elizabeth_H._C._Russell_House_at_Saltville.rev.1683302488.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2070" data-max-h="1548" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2918-emory-henry-college-receives-200000-gift-from">Emory & Henry College Receives $200,000 Gift from Moore Endowment to support Appalachian Studies</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p>Roots are important in Appalachia. Thanks to a generous gift of $200,000 from The Judith S. and James D. Moore, Jr. Endowment for Appalachian Studies, students at Emory & Henry College can dig a little deeper into the culture of the region where the college has been located since 1836.</p><a href="/live/news/2918-emory-henry-college-receives-200000-gift-from" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2785-appalachian-center-for-civic-life-at-emory-amp"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,1200/13468_Scott_Sikes_for_Release.rev.1677856237.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,1200/13468_Scott_Sikes_for_Release.rev.1677856237.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/png" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,1200/13468_Scott_Sikes_for_Release.rev.1677856237.png 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,1200/13468_Scott_Sikes_for_Release.rev.1677856237.png 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,1200/13468_Scott_Sikes_for_Release.rev.1677856237.png" alt="Director of the Appalachian Center for Civic Life Dr. Scott Sikes and his team at the Appalachian Center for Civic Life work to positivel..." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,1200/13468_Scott_Sikes_for_Release.rev.1677856237.png 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,1200/13468_Scott_Sikes_for_Release.rev.1677856237.png 3x" data-max-w="1200" data-max-h="1200" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2785-appalachian-center-for-civic-life-at-emory-amp">Appalachian Center for Civic Life at Emory & Henry College Took Students and Community Members on Civil Rights Spring Break Trip</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Appalachian Center for Civic Life at Emory & Henry College led a spring break trip for Emory & Henry College students in Alabama, taking 27 students and more than 15 community members from the Emory campus through the history of the Civil Rights Movement which began on Saturday, March 4.</span></p><a href="/live/news/2785-appalachian-center-for-civic-life-at-emory-amp" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2707-emory-henry-college-receives-25000-grant-from"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/159,0,1085,927/13143_graduation.ca1905_1.rev.1673966150.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/png" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/159,0,1085,927/13143_graduation.ca1905_1.rev.1673966150.png 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/159,0,1085,927/13143_graduation.ca1905_1.rev.1673966150.png" alt="Visitors gather for graduation on the College grounds in front of the main college building, ca. 1905. Photo published in Legacy and Visi..." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/159,0,1085,927/13143_graduation.ca1905_1.rev.1673966150.png 2x" data-max-w="926" data-max-h="927" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2707-emory-henry-college-receives-25000-grant-from">Emory & Henry College Receives $25,000 Grant from Roller Bottimore Foundation for Preservation of Historical Material with Public Accessibility</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p> Emory & Henry College got a boost to support local and regional history preservation in Southwest Virginia thanks to recent funding from the Roller Bottimore Foundation. “<em>The Watershed Project: Civic Memory for a Citizenship of Place</em>” has a two-fold purpose - to preserve, index, and archive a wide range of historical material related to the history and operation of Emory & Henry College, the oldest institution of higher learning in Southwest Virginia, and to utilize these materials to create an engaging, dynamic, born-digital, open-source history of the region of Southwest Virginia and, more specifically, the college’s role as an institutional citizen of that place.</p><a href="/live/news/2707-emory-henry-college-receives-25000-grant-from" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2720-emory-henry-college-celebrates-grand-opening"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/13266_EH-Thrift-Store-Opening_022.rev.1675530004.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/13266_EH-Thrift-Store-Opening_022.rev.1675530004.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/13266_EH-Thrift-Store-Opening_022.rev.1675530004.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/13266_EH-Thrift-Store-Opening_022.rev.1675530004.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/13266_EH-Thrift-Store-Opening_022.rev.1675530004.jpg" alt="Students who created the E&H Thrift Store cutting the ribbon Hermella Legesse, Feker Fetene, Paige Halcrow, Hayley Ritter, Tilly Crad..." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/13266_EH-Thrift-Store-Opening_022.rev.1675530004.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/13266_EH-Thrift-Store-Opening_022.rev.1675530004.jpg 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2133" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2720-emory-henry-college-celebrates-grand-opening">Emory & Henry College Celebrates Grand Opening of Thrift Store on Campus</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emory & Henry College is excited to announce the grand opening of its first on-campus thrift store located on the lower level of the Memorial Chapel on February 1, 2023. The Emory & Henry community celebrated the new E&H Thrift Store with a ribbon cutting and students in attendance had the opportunity to shop after. The store was made possible by the</span> <a href="https://www.emoryhenry.edu/appalachian-center-for-civic-life/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Appalachian Center for Civic Life</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">and will be primarily managed by</span> <a href="https://www.emoryhenry.edu/appalachian-center-for-civic-life/scholarships/bonner-scholars-program/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bonner Scholars</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">and</span> <a href="https://www.emoryhenry.edu/appalachian-center-for-civic-life/scholarships/civic-leader-scholars/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Civic Leader Scholars</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p><a href="/live/news/2720-emory-henry-college-celebrates-grand-opening" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/3554-ryan-vaughan-named-2024-national-bonner-summer"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,1000/15871_ryan.rev.1715022641.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,1000/15871_ryan.rev.1715022641.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,1000/15871_ryan.rev.1715022641.jpg" alt="Ryan is pictured wearing a floral print shirt and round glasses." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,1000/15871_ryan.rev.1715022641.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1000" data-max-h="1000" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/3554-ryan-vaughan-named-2024-national-bonner-summer">Ryan Vaughan Named 2024 National Bonner Summer Intern</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p> Each Summer, students are selected from the network of 75+ Bonner programs to support the national Bonner Network through a seven-week internship. This year, Emory and Henry student, Ryan Vaughan ’25 has been selected to work with the Corella & Bertram F. Bonner Foundation.</p><a href="/live/news/3554-ryan-vaughan-named-2024-national-bonner-summer" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/3455-a-bonner-scholars-journey-in-giving-back"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1030,1104/15636_IMG_1142.rev.1712947456.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1030,1104/15636_IMG_1142.rev.1712947456.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1030,1104/15636_IMG_1142.rev.1712947456.jpg" alt="Students and their advisors are pictured in front of the food bank sign, they hold a poster that shows how many pounds of food they packed." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/51/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1030,1104/15636_IMG_1142.rev.1712947456.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1030" data-max-h="1104" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/3455-a-bonner-scholars-journey-in-giving-back">A Bonner Scholar’s Journey in Giving Back</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p> In March, the First-Year Bonner Scholar cohort embarked on a Spring Break journey to Atlanta, Georgia, aiming to serve as agents of change outside the confines of Emory & Henry.</p><a href="/live/news/3455-a-bonner-scholars-journey-in-giving-back" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>

Appalachian Center for Civic Life

Get Involved

Ongoing Civic Engagement Projects

Want to make a difference while at Emory & Henry? Get Involved in any of the projects below.

Appalachian Oral History Project- On Campus

Mt. Pleasant Preservation Society- Marion, VA

Blue Ridge Discovery Center-Troutdale, VA

Social Justice & Action Project- On Campus

Appalachian Community Connectors- Marion, VA

E&H Garden-On Campus

The Barns at Blue Mountain- Abingdon, VA

Exhibit & Trail Maintenance- Hungry Mother State Park

Stinger’s Supply Shelf- On Campus

E&H Podcast- On Campus

SWVA Museum Experience- Surrounding Area

Watershed Project- On Campus

Partners For Stronger Communities- Bristol, VA

River’s Way- On Campus + Surrounding Area

Boys & Girls Club-Abingdon, VA

Communities In Schools Mentoring- Glade Spring, VA

Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club- Damascus, VA

Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority

Civic Leader Scholars

Connect with us:

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