Eastern Kentucky communities have another tool to support students in the region. Partners for Rural Impact Appalachia opened a new headquarters in Hazard.
The nonprofit has decades of experience helping communities improve educational outcomes for students.
Associate Vice President for PRI, Amon Couch, said this is a ‘cradle to career’ approach.
“We want kids to have an advocate or a program or something, a strategy in place, from the time that they're born to the time they graduate high school and, and go on even through college. We want them to have something, a safety net, some kind of a mechanism in place that will provide them the support they need,” said Couch.
PRI focuses on improving educational indicators like third grade reading, eighth grade math, attendance and high school graduation.
Couch said making these improvements takes partnerships.
“We know that those indicators are not just a school system’s responsibility, they belong to the entire community. And we know that if we’re able to support communities and help them find resources that move those indicators forward, the school system will obviously be stronger, but the community itself will be stronger,” said Couch.
PRI officials said those partnerships produce support like grant writing for schools, gas cards for parents of students and tutoring. Couch explained that each community has different needs.
Partners for Rural Impact Appalachia worked for 25 years from Berea College under the name Partners for Education. Their location in Perry County is the first under the new name.
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