ABINGDON, VA – The Friends of Southwest Virginia and Emory & Henry College have teamed up to produce three videos, reflective of outdoor recreation projects that are being implemented in Southwest Virginia.
Friends of Southwest Virginia's outdoor recreation arm, the Appalachian Spring Initiative, started in 2012 with the goal of developing the outdoor recreation industry cluster in Southwest Virginia. This project and collaboration, showcasing enhancements to High Knob Recreation Area, Damascus, Haysi and Breaks Interstate Park, gave seven Emory & Henry students the opportunity to explore assets and areas that are right in their backyard.
The students in the Emory & Henry College Advanced Video Production class are from Virginia, as well as surrounding states:
Ashley Bostian - Bryans Road, Maryland
Madisson Gillespie - Salem, Virginia
Allison Hamilton - New Castle, Virginia
Matthew Largen - Abingdon, Virginia
Hannah Long - Rural Retreat, Virginia
Desmond Perry - Wytheville, Virginia
Tyler Spires - Lancaster, Ohio
"The college is always looking for ways to connect what we learn in the classroom to projects that have an impact on our surrounding community," said Brent Treash, advanced video production professor at Emory & Henry College. "This video project allowed the students to take the skills they have learned over the semester and create a series of videos that will help showcase the amazing outdoor recreation available in our area."
"We have enjoyed working with the students over the past four months, enhancing their video production skills and are excited to share their work and stories with the rest of the Commonwealth," said Chris Cannon, executive director of the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation and Friends of Southwest Virginia. "As an organization, we are constantly seeking new ways to work with partners to highlight regional initiatives and opportunities in Southwest Virginia. This partnership with Emory & Henry college has been a great example of creative ways we can empower our community and youth."
The Appalachian Spring POWER project seeks to invest in capital improvements in communities that have fully engaged in the planning process and have strong stakeholder groups. Learn more of the specifics about each project below.
