The Work of Brushy Fork Institute

I've seen programs come and go here, but whatever happened when those folks went to Berea really made a difference. They're a solid group. It wouldn't have happened without Brushy Fork.

McDowell County, West Virginia resident

In 1990, a team of citizens from McDowell County, West Virginia, traveled to Berea College for a leadership development program. They hailed from a county where the unemployment rate was 25%, where nearly 1 in 5 families lived in poverty and where only a third of adults had a high school education. Since 1940, half the population had left to seek opportunities elsewhere. But even with these overwhelming problems, people saw promise amid the abandoned buildings and empty streets.

The Brushy Fork team consisted of a variety of residents who wanted to see their communities prosper. They had a vision of a future with well-educated children who stayed in the county and brought new life to the communities.

The team initiated a volunteer tutoring program for elementary school children. As the tutoring program continues today, children benefit from after school and summer programs, and the community benefits from cultivating a valuable resource.

The Mission of Brushy Fork Institute

For more than one hundred years, Berea College has served the people of Appalachia. The Brushy Fork Institute carries forward this commitment by working to develop strong leadership in the mountains. Working with both existing and emerging leaders, we draw on local understanding and vision to help communities build for tomorrow.

Goals of Brushy Fork Institute

• To increase the number of people taking leadership responsibility in the Central Appalachian region at the community, county and regional levels.
• To promote leadership perspectives and practices that are developmental, cooperative, accountable, ethical and effective.
• To help communities articulate their vision and build on their own history, strengths and creativity to achieve their vision.
• To promote networking among community leaders and regional organizations.
• To increase the participation of leaders from traditionally under-represented groups.
• To strengthen the contributions of other Berea College programs to the development of Central Appalachian leaders and communities.
• To share leadership and community development ideas and strategies regionally, nationally and globally.