Reflecting on my three-day class trip to Fayette County as part of the ACRI program, one thing became clear: meaningful service-learning requires immersing yourself in a community and listening to the real stories of its members. Coming into the weekend, my goal was to maintain an open-minded approach while eagerly experiencing the places we had been researching over the past few months. Being physically present in Fayette County allowed me to further my understanding of its history, its challenges, and its potential.
During our site visits, it became apparent that several key community assets serve as the backbone of Fayette County’s identity and economy. One major asset is the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail, which serves as an economic driver by bringing thousands of cyclists through the region every year. I noticed during our site visits that the downtown business corridors were relatively empty. I may even have seen more bikers along the trail than residents throughout the town.
Two other invaluable community assets are Michael Edwards and Dan Cocks, who have become catalysts for local revitalization through their work with the Fayette County Cultural Trust. During a walk along the Youghiogheny River, I saw a bridge with a small ‘Dream Big’ sign. Despite being transplants to the region, Michael and Dan have spent countless hours empowering their community to do just that. The Fayette County Cultural Trust’s partnership with the local community brings me back to our class reading by Dawn J. Lipthrott, which outlines the core ethical values required for effective leadership: personal responsibility and accountability, respect, concern for the well-being of others, integrity, and collaboration. Seeing Michael and Dan embody all of these qualities through their revitalization work inspired me to uphold these exact values in my ongoing project work, especially as I prepare deliverables for my small business partnership. It was truly inspiring to see how much work they have accomplished.
Finally, we visited Penn State’s Fayette Campus and learned about the challenges its upcoming closure will present for the surrounding area. During this stop, we also heard about the deep frustrations of the campus’ Coal and Coke Museum, which faces potential displacement of its historical artifacts. It was disappointing to hear that these artifacts may have no home, especially because coal and coke extraction represent the foundational history of the region’s economic growth.
What surprised me most about Fayette County was the richness of its local history and the deep pride residents take in its unique quirks. Beyond famous landmarks like Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, local community hubs were filled with fascinating stories.
Visiting the Connellsville Canteen opened my eyes to how deeply local heritage connects to global events. At the Canteen, we viewed an extensive collection of World War II and Olympic memorabilia, along with the Connellsville Athletic Hall of Fame. We also viewed Harry Clark’s model train display, which was voted the best handmade display in America by Model Railroader Magazine. On our drive, we even passed the historic English oak planted by 1936 Berlin Olympics gold medalist John Woodruff. Later that night, attending the Uniontown high school football game gave us a front-row seat to a spectacular halftime show and an electric community atmosphere. These experiences and artifacts showed me how deeply the community cherishes its history and the people who have helped shape its identity.
During class, we learned that in service learning, direct interaction with members will help us identify the true priorities of the community without external biases. The opportunity to speak with Michael, Dan, and other residents helped me learn more about the community while avoiding outside assumptions.
Back at our group’s home base, the Touchstone Center for Crafts, I learned the importance of being fully immersed in an area to learn and contribute to service learning alongside others. With little internet or cell service, our group gathered around campfires and s’mores, played card games, and gathered for a group viewing of the Pitt vs Virginia Tech thriller football game. Removing digital distractions allowed our team to practice building the proactive communication strategies necessary to function as an effective collaborative unit.
While the GAP Trail brings steady tourist traffic into the region, Fayette County urgently needs more jobs and reasons for people to flock into its downtown districts. These areas remain noticeably quiet, and our preliminary research shows that many residents travel out of the county for work, creating a potential economic leakage. To address this, local business owners could implement better wayfinding signage, bike racks, and grab-and-go food options directly along trail access points. Encouraging trail users to venture just a few blocks off the path into town creates immediate revenue opportunities that help retain consumer spending within the local community.
Economic development will require introducing more local retail businesses, restaurants and shops that create both visitor and local spending in the area. Marketing grassroots entrepreneurs like pop-up eateries and farm markets can also revitalize empty storefronts with minimal upfront overhead. At the same time, Fayette County already has the Youghiogheny Glass Center, which exports custom products worldwide. Creating more businesses with the potential to export goods could help retain revenue and build a more resilient economy.
We should also explore what currently prevents visitors from spending more time and money in downtown areas after traveling along the GAP Trail. Understanding these barriers will help us distinguish between opportunities that sound promising and solutions that are realistic for the community. By combining these findings with conversations with residents, we can develop recommendations that build on Fayette County’s existing strengths while addressing its specific economic challenges.
Moving forward, our focus shifts to strong research enabling our group to develop targeted, realistic solutions. Seeing Fayette County in person provided crucial context regarding where the community stands and the real-world operational challenges local business owners face daily. Ultimately, I hope our final deliverables provide Rolling B’s BBQ and the broader Fayette County region with actionable, well-researched strategies that drive meaningful economic development, and create a genuine, lasting positive impact on the community.