VISION

 To be an active and vibrant learning environment, providing innovative opportunities for student scholarship and service.

MISSION

To educate students about southern Appalachia's art, history, music, and nature through community service learning, undergraduate research and creative activities.

VALUES

1. STEWARDSHIP

To preserve and share Appalachian culture

2. SCHOLARSHIP

To provide a significant academic presence

3. SERVICE 

To serve the Appalachian region as a credible, visible and viable resource

4. DIVERSITY 

To recognize and honor diversity by encouraging the participation of all Appalachian residents

5. PARTNERSHIP

 To collaborate with the greater Appalachian community 

Highlights of Past Programs and Activities

2011 

 See program 

• Storytelling performance with Bill Lepp
• Storytelling workshop with Bil Lepp
• Vanishing Georgia exhibition
• Local Photos, Local Stories 

Our city, Dahlonega

• Art exhibition featuring seniors from Lumpkin County High School

2010

 Grassroots Arts Program

 31^st Appalachian Studies Association Annual Conference

• More than 600 scholars, community organizers, social justice activists, students, and artists attended more than 105 sessions about "Engaging Community."  The conference began on Friday with a banquet honoring Byron Herbert Reece, one of Appalachia's most loved writers, and ended with a Gospel sing on Sunday morning. Read more about this conference here.  To learn more about the current conference, visit the Appalachian Studies Association. 

Picturing Smokey Hollar: Photography exhibition of African American community

James Waters: A Mountain Life

• Oral history photo essays of 96-year old resident by university student, Randall Pinson

The Cabin

• Photography exhibition by students in Department of Visual Arts    

1946 Shadowbox

• Art installation by student in Department of Visual Arts  

Ghost Cabin

• Three-dimension structure by students in Department of Visual Arts, faculty, staff, and community members 

Picking Porch Old Time Music Jam

• Weekly sessions hosted by Jon Mehlferber, Department of Visual Arts 

2009

  Key Ingredients: America by Food 

 Experiencing Food :Display and Interactive Play Station

Fruit (Pen and Ink)

Kitchens (Paintings)

Food Memories (Display)

Family, Church, and Farming: Living Off the Land

Celtic Cooking Class

Jappalachian Cooking Class

High Tea

Church Cookbooks, Talk

Ominvore’s Dilemma, Read and Feed

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Read and Feed

Smokehouse Ham and Spoonbread, Book Signing

The Georgia Pick and Bow Traditional Music School

 Appalachian Community Studies Series