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Collection No. 4

Building Hope in Appalachian Ohio

In southeastern Ohio, diverse efforts to build vibrant communities and a new economy show real promise. Can they create the momentum to overcome a legacy of poverty and underinvestment?

Street in Ohio during WInter
  • Can Appalachian Ohio Build a New Economy?

    The 32 Ohio counties spread over the Appalachian foothills suffer in comparison with their counterparts in the rest of the state by nearly every economic measure. But they’re also filled with entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and citizens seeking to build a brighter future.

    McConnelsville downtown
  • Perspective: The Federal Agency

    What’s the role of the federal government in addressing the challenges facing Appalachian Ohio? Ray Daffner ’86 discusses the work of the Appalachian Regional Commission.

    Factory in Appalachian Ohio
  • Perspective: The Philanthropist

    How can philanthropy contribute to regional economic development in Appalachian Ohio? Cara Brook explains the sector’s critical role in retaining wealth and enabling local initiatives.

    Cara Dingus Brook
  • Portraits of Appalachian Ohio

    Yale Insights commissioned photographer Erin Clark to document the people working to transform southeast Ohio. She talks about the experience.

    Bicycle shop
  • Perspective: The Small-Town Mayor

    What can a town of 1,481 people in Appalachian coal country do in the face of long-term cyclical changes in global markets? Quite a lot, actually.

    Tom Johnson, Mayor of Somerset, Ohio
  • Perspective: The Governor

    Former Ohio governor Ted Strickland talks about the people, poverty, politics, and possibilities of Appalachian Ohio.

    A mountain road in Appalachian Ohio