Center for Rural Development
FormationMarch 1996 (1996-03)
Type501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
HeadquartersSomerset, Kentucky
Location
  • United States
Region served
45 counties in Southern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky
Websitehttps://centertech.com/

The Center for Rural Development in Somerset, Kentucky, was established in March 1996. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The center aims "to provide leadership that stimulates innovative and sustainable economic development solutions and a better way of life for the citizens we serve".[1][2] The center's programs and services focus on the areas of public safety, arts and culture, leadership, and technology.[1]

History

The center was established in Somerset, Kentucky, in March 1996, and became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.[3][1][4][5] It was the idea of U.S. Congressman from Kentucky Hal Rogers.[1][6] At the outset it was viewed as a partnership between the state and the University of Kentucky, and it was supported by state and federal funds.[7][8]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the center held its programming virtually in 2020.[9] In October 2020, the center was awarded over $400,000 in grant funding by the Appalachian Regional Commission.[10] In February 2021, it received a $440,400 PPP loan.[11]

Programs

The center's programs serve residents in a 45-county area in Southern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky.[4][2][1]

It has a 100,000 square foot meeting and convention facility.[1][12] The Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce meets at the center.[13]

It provides free youth leadership programs for middle school and high school students.[14] Rogers Scholars, a one-week summer camp that had been attended by 1,100 high school students by 2017, is a partnership with 19 colleges and universities. It provides scholarship to students who meet certain academic requirements.[14][15][16][17] The Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky, offers a $1,000 scholarship to all "Rogers Explorers" who attend camp at their location.[14][18] The "Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute" (ELI) provides instruction to high school students in how to initiate and manage a business venture.[19][20] The students who win the ELI's Business Concept Competition earn a $16,000 scholarship to Eastern Kentucky University, in Richmond, Kentucky.[14]

The center's "Displaced Coal Miner Training" program provides technical skills training in 15 career fields for displaced coal miners and former coal employees who were adversely impacted by the region's declining coal industry.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "About". Center for Rural Development.
  2. 1 2 Reighard, Angela (December 12, 2016). "The Center for Rural Development celebrates its 20th anniversary". WYMT.
  3. ↑ "Lexington Herald Leader". account.kentucky.com.
  4. 1 2 "Center for Rural Development expands service area; Includes Boyd, Carter and Elliott counties". The Lane Report. October 10, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Center for Rural Development Among Kentucky PPP Loan Recipients". The Courier-Journal.
  6. ↑ Diane Vinokur-Kaplan, Ram A. Cnaan (2014). Cases in Innovative Nonprofits; Organizations That Make a Difference, SAGE Publications.
  7. ↑ James C. Clinger, Michael W. Hail (2013). Kentucky Government, Politics, and Public Policy, University Press of Kentucky.
  8. ↑ Jeremy Hall (2010). Grant Management: Funding for Public and Nonprofit Programs, Jones & Bartlett Learning.
  9. ↑ "Five Laurel County students selected for The Center for Rural Development's youth programs". The Sentinel-Echo. May 30, 2021.
  10. ↑ "The Center for Rural Development awarded more than $400K in ARC funding". Commonwealth Journal. October 28, 2020.
  11. ↑ "The Center For Rural Development Inc in Somerset, KY - SBA PPP Loan Data (Paycheck Protection Program)". federalpay.org.
  12. ↑ Fink, Joseph III (2010). "Higher Education Consortium Leads to College Students Taking a Fresh Look at Continuing Challenges for their Region," Academic Leadership, Vol. 8, Issue 4, Article 30.
  13. ↑ Bill Mardis (June 3, 2008). "Over 1.25 million people have visited Center for Rural Development". Commonwealth Journal.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Youth programs alumni and business owner Lamon Hubbs credits The Center for Rural Development for helping develop his entrepreneurial skills". Clinton County News. November 4, 2020.
  15. ↑ Ted Cox (August 7, 2019). "The Center for Rural Development's 2018 Rogers Scholar Kennedy Bruner of Garrard County organizes end-of-school-year celebration to support UK's Wyatt's Warriors Toy Chest". Garrard Central Record.
  16. ↑ "Rogers Scholars program". Middlesboro News. November 7, 2017.
  17. ↑ "East Jessamine High School student graduates from Rogers Scholars". Jessamine Journal. August 8, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Six Johnson students Selected for The Center for Rural Development's youth programs". The Paintsville Herald. May 6, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Phelps student Kara Stevens completes ELI program". Williamson Daily News. August 30, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Wilson graduates from The Center for Rural Development's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute". The McCreary Voice. August 31, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Training program available for displaced miners". The Times-Tribune. April 29, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.