View Feedback | Send this Article | Published 2/07/03

Graphic By: Jonelle Thackston

Dr. Grace Toney Edwards, coordinator of the Appalachian Studies Program said that there are an increasing number of students taking these courses. ÜStudents from the Appalachia want to learn more about their heritage, and even students who arenät from the area are fascinated by its simpler way of life.¯ said Edwards. ÜItäs very rewarding to see the students' interest arise.¯

In 1994, the Appalachian Regional Studies Center was opened at Radford University. The center contains a collection of artifacts from Ireland, Scotland, Hungary, and other countries throughout the world. Cornhusk dolls, pictures, baskets, and ceramic pots are just a few of the artifacts the center has collected. Every item there tells a story about the mountain people. One woman donated her helmet that she wore when she worked in the coalmine, for example. There are even items there that give the mountain people the stereotype of being Ühillbilly.¯ The staff at the center continue to work hard to portray the true everyday life of the Mountain people. ÜThere is a lot to be said about the past and learning about the past,¯ said Edwards. She hopes that through this center students will look at their heritage and take pride in it.

The Selu Conservancy also plays a role in the Appalachian Studies Program. Selu provides a place for students to go and study the folk culture and folk architecture of the early 20th century. Construction is currently in progress to build a museum at Selu to interpret life on a farm in the 1930s in the New River Valley.

Another program offered by the Appalachian Studies Department is the Appalachian Arts and Studies in the Schools Program (AASIS). This is a mentoring program that pairs up Radford University students with rural high school students in Southwestern Virginia. This program was designed to increase the rate of college attendance prior to high school, while also teaching students to be proud of their heritage and history. The Appalachian Studies Program is growing strong and continues to expand. ÜI have been in this field for 20 years and I continue to be excited because there is much to learn,¯ said Edwards.

If you would like to get involved in any of the aspects of the Appalachian Studies Department, you can contact the Department at 831-5366.