A near-record crowd of 267 attendees from Ohio, West Virginia and several other Appalachian states gathered at the Tenth Annual OACHE/WVACHE Conference on October 24, 2003 to share strategies for encouraging more Appalachian students and adults to participate in college. This annual event, which draws K-12 and college educators, elected officials and government representatives at all levels, was hosted this year at the Greenbrier Valley Campus of New River Community & Technical College of Bluefield State College in Lewisburg, W.Va.

The conference was co-sponsored by the Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education (OACHE) and the West Virginia Access Center for Higher Education (WVACHE), with funds provided by the KnowledgeWorks Foundation, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, which named the OACHE one of only five winners of its prestigious Innovations in American Government award in May 2003.

Highlights of the conference included more than 20 breakout sessions; plenary addresses by former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Appalachian Regional Commission Federal Co-Chair Anne Pope and West Virginia Secretary of State Joe Manchin; and recognition of outstanding educators from Ohio, West Virginia and Tennessee. Three of the five surviving Rocket Boys, whose true story of college dreams in a West Virginia coal-mining town was told in Homer Hickam's best-selling memoir Rocket Boys and the major motion picture October Sky, also attended: Willie Rose, Quentin Wilson and Roy Lee Cooke.

"The Tennessee Appalachian Center for Higher Education is off to a successful start thanks to the mentoring and support of the OACHE and WVACHE," stated Karla Kirby, TnACHE Project Director. "The Tenth Annual Conference, attended by all of our Access Project schools, provided informative sessions, models, and ideas we can use to encourage the young people of Appalachian Tennessee to pursue post-secondary education." Other features of the conference included guided tours of the once-secret Cold-War-era bunker underneath the historic Greenbrier and a performance by the Nicholas County High School Show Choir.

Throughout the conference several valuable door prizes were given away, including three Amish quilts donated by Tanner, Stone & Co., Portsmouth; an overnight stay at Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort; a Longaberger basket; Fiesta Ware; and sweatshirts, commemorative throws and other items donated by participating colleges, universities and college-access organizations.

"We were delighted to host the 10th Annual OACHE/WVACHE Conference for the first time in West Virginia and were pleased with the outstanding turnout," said Sarita A. Gattuso, WVACHE executive director. "Teachers, counselors, administrators, and others returned to their schools energized to make a difference, to make whether or not a student enrolls in college a priority. We hope that even more West Virginia educators will plan on participating next year."

"The goal of the OACHE and WVACHE is to provide an informative, interesting and fun conference for the many people, especially our unpaid K-12 Access Project coordinators, who work so hard to help students to college as a means to a better quality of life," noted Wayne F. White, OACHE executive director. "Many thanks to numerous individuals and organizations whose efforts helped make this year's conference one of our best yet."

For more information about the OACHE, contact Wayne F. White, executive director, at 1 866 GO OACHE or visit www.oache.org. For more information about the WVACHE, contact Sarita A. Gattuso, executive director, at 304-327-4096 or visit www.oache.org/wvache_home.htm.

October 10, 2003