What We Do
Building a vibrant future hinges on the planning and action done today, shaped by the experiences of the past.
The CRFS seeks to provide a structure for faculty, students, and staff to collaborate with community partners on a variety of initiatives connected with community revitalization, local histories and heritage, and future directions.
Past: History and Heritage
Revealing the Past to Understand the Region Today
Present: Community Revitalization
Revitalizing Coal Towns Today Through Place-Based Collaboration
Future: Growing Forward
Imagining What Tomorrow Can Be
History & Heritage
The region’s rich history and heritage continues to reverberate into the present. Project areas include:
Stories & Voices
Share environmental histories, cultural heritage, and understanding of place
Mining History
Examine environmental, economic, and social legacies of the coal industry
Regional Culture
Contextualize through written texts, material culture, and social practices
Community Revitalization
Collaboration is essential to collective visions for vibrant communities. Project areas include:
Planning & Development
Create opportunities for expressing and enacting collective visions
Sustainability
Support communities in thriving where they are
Food & Food Insecurity
Cultivate localized food knowledge and food sovereignty
Growing Forward
Creating possibilities for a thriving, sustainable future. Project areas include:
Forest, Towns & Streams
Advance action for environmental restoration
Renewable Energy
Diversify energy sources for localized resilience
