Last weekend, I along with other Pitt college students traveled to Fayette county, a small county southwest of Pennsylvania near West Virginia’s border to learn about the region’s Appalachian roots. We planned to obtain research and broaden our understanding of the developing issues for our group special topics projects. The county is historically a part of Appalachia, a region that stretches from Georgia to Pennsylvania due to its mountain range and its surrounding terrain. Appalachia’s poverty rate is higher than the national average due to a lack of economic development, low education levels, limited transportation, etc. Although the region is high in natural resources, there is an issue on how to utilize those resources to benefit the locals the most. Since many Appalachians sold their rights to large corporations, it leaves the rest of the residents without land ownership struggling and unemployed. Pitt in collaboration with the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative (ACRI) and the Fayette County Cultural Trust fund applies research with undergrad students to promote economic, sustainable initiatives for the community. Pitt is focusing on two small towns in Fayette County; Unionville and Connellsville. Other students also explored Brownsville. As part of a ten-year project, multiple groups of students with different studies join every fall semester to travel to the area and work to resolve the economic issues facing the county. As a part of the sustainability cohort, my capstone members and I must research and understand the lack of economic growth in a community that is historically known to be impoverished. Then, 

The Appalachia region is known for its unique topography, with a complex ecosystem of forests, mountains, and natural coal. Growing a larger sustainable community in this area would benefit the physical Appalachia region and the locals and help to grow the community’s development. Attempting to resolve out-migration by growing development is not simple, enticing locals to stay and foreigners to migrate.  When traveling to Fayette County, we visited different areas of the region including Unionville, Connellsville, and Farmington where we ended up staying overnight in cabins. Through the director Crystal Simmons, we discovered the vast amounts of grants the County obtains or can obtain through Pennsylvania. The large concern regarding the county’s development is how to drive community support and persuade those who grew up in this historically impoverished area to want these initiatives. One of our group’s topics to drive higher economic development from the space industry. The drive to incorporate space education and jobs in the area would spur a higher economy and give more people to move or stay in this area. There are valid reasons why these types of jobs would seem unneeded or uninteresting. For an area that heavily revolves around farming, coal mining, and other natural resources industries, why would space be important to the community? The main reasoning behind the space initiative is to put jobs into places people would not consider taking, since many feel unqualified or the job is unrelated to their field. But that is simply not true. Like other Stem fields, communities not only need doctors, nursers, and engineers , but the space industry would provide working, livable jobs to educators, writers, teachers, and agricultural farmers. The sustainable was attempting to focus on space education as a vital incorporation in to the area, since the county has many valuable natural resources that would benefit both the space industry and Fayette.

When visiting, we stayed on a campsite called Touchstone, a few miles off Connellsville and Uniontown. My group first visited Uniontown to meet with the Director of Redevelopment Authority of Fayette county, an organization that works in partnership with local, state, and federal entities to implement programs to improve the lives and homes of the county. The community streets and visits are not as populated compared to the city, clearly since its density is much smaller. Assuming that everyone was either in school or working it made sense that locals would not be roaming the streets. But even on Saturday morning, the shops would not open yet until 10 am and there were few locals out. The realization that this county was smaller than I thought considering I have only lived in the Philly suburbs my entire life. As driving through the county, the homes and shopping centers have a vintage look and feel, something that I learned later to preserve the country’s historical roots. Appalachia had folklore history and cultural ties to small family bonds and religion, which is seem beautifully though the murals and paintings at the Canteen. The Connellsville Canteen is a museum dedicated to the county’s history to WWII.

My group’s topics focus on two main concerns to tackle: acid mine drainage and space development. Acid mine drainage has been an issue in the Appalachia region for decades that affects streams and clean water for locals. Space development is a new topic for this project in hopes of addressing the concerns about the lack of space education in the community. Essentially, we wanted to persuade locals that incorporating space projects and those types of funding in the area would greatly improve the community’s living and provide more noticeably younger generations with more education opportunities.  My initial ideas to spur economic development would be to grow the community’s minds about the types of people our group wants to move to Fayette County for growth to occur.

The new information gathered from the Fayette commissioners and the Director of the Redevelopment Authority has shed light on critical issues surrounding the distribution of grants and funding within the community. This fresh insight has made it clear that more definitive actions will be taken to ensure that these funds are properly and efficiently directed to the individuals and organizations that need them most. The primary focus is on ensuring that grants intended for community development are allocated in ways that truly benefit the residents of Fayette County, particularly in cities like Uniontown and Connellsville. The challenge, however, lies in determining whether these funds are being directed toward the citizens or if they are instead benefiting large corporations with less direct impact on the community.

A significant aspect of this conversation centers around how funds are used to address environmental concerns. One such concern is acid mine drainage, a pressing issue in areas like Fayette County, where mining has historically played a major role in the local economy. Acid mine drainage releases harmful substances such as sulfur and other chemicals into the water streams, posing a severe threat to clean water availability. Research initiatives aimed at mitigating this problem are still being considered, as they would play a crucial role in promoting clean and sustainable water sources for the community. Clean water is fundamental to both public health and local ecosystems, so ensuring funding for such environmental projects remains a high priority.

While environmental efforts like acid mine drainage research are essential, the community’s most pressing needs extend beyond just environmental concerns. One of the core issues identified is the lack of support for space initiatives. While programs related to space exploration and research may have potential for long-term innovation, they require substantial funding and community backing, neither of which currently exist in Uniontown or Connellsville. Economic instability and the struggle to meet basic human needs make it nearly impossible for local communities to prioritize space initiatives. Therefore, the decision has been made by the group to shift their focus away from resource-intensive space collaborations, at least for the time being. Instead, they aim to direct more energy and funding toward addressing immediate needs.

We spoke Scott Dunn, a commissioner of Fayette County, who explained how solar panels were implemented in people’s community but were not taken well. Having the trust of these citizens and understanding their personal needs and opinions is important in creating a economic growth. As visitors, we do not want to intrude on the people’s town and bring corporations or projects unattractive to the community. Otherwise none of the development projects will sustain. Understanding that support and trust from those who have lived here is vital to growing and preserving the area. During conversations with Crystal Simmons, the Director of the Redevelopment Authority, the need for updated and improved development plans became apparent. Although there are already plans in place for the community’s development, these strategies are often outdated and in need of revision. Simmons stressed the importance of making sure that funds are not only allocated properly but are also directed consistently over time. This ensures that the community can rely on a steady stream of support, rather than sporadic bursts of funding that may fail to have a long-term impact.The next steps in Fayette County’s redevelopment efforts will focus on ensuring that funds are distributed efficiently and effectively for both locals and new migrators of the county.

Basic human necessities such as clean water, shelters, and reliable electricity are currently at the forefront of the discussion. These essentials form the foundation for any successful community, as they are prerequisites for economic growth, social stability, and overall well-being. Residents of Fayette County, particularly in Uniontown and Connellsville, are more concerned about solving these everyday challenges than investing in abstract future endeavors like space research. Thus, the new direction for funding programs is focused on addressing these fundamental needs, which also include education, rehabilitation services, and food security. Meeting these immediate concerns is crucial for fostering human growth and development in the area. The group has also identified a clear need to expand the population of these areas. Providing the resources necessary for residents to lead productive lives—such as affordable housing, access to clean water, and reliable electricity—will make these cities more appealing places to live and work, attracting more people and businesses. Addressing immediate needs like clean water, housing, and electricity is the most practical and appealing path forward, with environmental initiatives such as acid mine drainage mitigation still in consideration.