Six ASC students participate in Appalachian Teaching Project Symposium

Six Alfred State College (ASC) architecture students participated in the 21st annual Appalachian Teaching Project (ATP) Symposium, a regional economic development conference sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). ASC is one of 16 Appalachian Colleges and Universities that participated in this year’s project.

The team of Nicholas Crego (Spencerport), Kaitlin Girard (Ontario), Alan Espinosa Lopez (Millbrook), Vincent Orologio (Rochester), Craig Salzman (Binghamton), and Alicia Scroger (Batavia) presented Leveraging Historic Transportation Networks to Promote Heritage Tourism and Community Connectivity: A Vision for Sustainability and Growth in Allegany County, New York. The presentation was the culmination of a seven-week project that involved three architecture studios completing visualization studies for the communities of Belmont, Belfast and Fillmore.

To prepare for the ATP Symposium, 34 students enrolled in ARCH 7306 Design Studio 5 taught by Professors William Dean, Matthew DiRado, and Alan Vlakancic, a for-credit academic course to design and lead research projects in Appalachian communities to address regional challenges. Each ATP project reflects one of four themes that connect back to the ARC strategic plan: addressing community needs and challenges; economic development; tourism; and capacity building. 

As a capstone to this work, students normally travel to Washington, D.C. to present their work to other student delegations from other ATP participating institutions, ARC leadership, and community leaders in a formal peer-to-peer conference setting hosted by ARC. This year, due to the continuing COVID-19 crisis, the ATP Symposium took place online.

“This was an exciting project for the students to work on in collaboration with the people in three different communities, and we had great turn-outs for each public presentation,” Dean said. “We also received a great deal of support from the Allegany County Department of Planning and Director of Planning Kier Dirlam and his staff. This project illustrates Alfred State’s commitment to civic engagement, applied learning, and making a local and regional impact.” 

Since 2001, over 2,650 college and graduate students from across Appalachia have participated in the Appalachian Teaching Project. This is the 12th year a student delegation from Alfred State has participated in ATP. Many ATP alumnae have gone on to careers in public service, community development, and other related fields across the Region. 

Summaries of each research project are available at www.arc.gov/atp. ATP is one of four academies and institutes sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Through these experiential learning opportunities, participants build networks, hone skills, and cultivate an enduring commitment to Appalachia’s future.

“Appalachia needs young leaders, like those participating in the Appalachian Teaching Project, to bring forward-thinking economic development plans to life,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “This group of change-makers is capable of creating positive impacts in our communities, and I am excited to see the lasting effects these innovative projects will have on our region long-term.”

Supported by ARC and organized by the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at East Tennessee State University (ETSU), students receive college credit for participating in ATP. Schools participating in ATP offer a directed seminar guiding students in developing and executing field-based research projects specific to the needs of their surrounding communities and in alignment with one of ARC’s strategic investment priorities.

About the Appalachian Regional Commission:

The Appalachian Regional Commission (www.arc.gov) is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.