Insufficient Food for Growing Kids

Many children at Cannonsburg Elementary School rely on the school’s weekend feeding program

As the name suggests, Cannonsburg Elementary is located in the isolated and rural town of Cannonsburg, Kentucky in Boyd County. Like many of Kentucky’s Eastern Coal Field communities, Cannonsburg has suffered dramatically from the decline of the coal mining industry. At the height of the coal operations, Boyd County was an essential and active port city for the transport of coal along the Ohio River. Today, many of its residents live in abject poverty. Illiteracy […]

A Decline in Enrollment

Emmalena Elementary School has felt the effects of job loss due to mine closures

Emmalena Elementary School is located on State Highway 550 in the western part of Knott County, Kentucky just west of the community of Clear Creek. “The community of Clear Creek was the site of a 1970s women’s occupation and protest against strip and surface mining, especially the practice that allowed coal operators to tear up private land to reach underground minerals,” explains Renée Kube, Children Incorporated’s Director of U.S. Programs. “Some small, independent operators had […]

Pride in Her Students

Our Coordinator at Catlettsburg Elementary and Ponderosa Elementary Schools in Kentucky praises her students for giving back

For years, Catlettsburg, where are affiliated projects Catlettsburg Elementary and Ponderosa Elementary Schools are located, was known as “The Gate City” because it was here that barges were loaded with coal to be shipped down the Ohio River to other ports. But even though the children might come from strikingly different economic backgrounds, that doesn’t change how they interact with one other. The decline of the coal industry in Kentucky and West Virginia has severely […]

Wishing for Work

Knott County Central High School students would love to have after-school jobs — if only they were available

Knott County Central High School is located in the small town of Hindman, Kentucky and is the only high school in all of Knott County. Built in 1974, the high school has been well maintained over the years, serving 622 students in grades nine through twelve. While students’ scores are above state standardized test averages, there is still concern among administrators when it comes to college and career readiness. Overall, the school is below the […]

From Higher Education Program Participant to Volunteer Coordinator

At Cordia Combined School in Eastern Kentucky, a former sponsored child is now helping kids in need

Cordia Combined School is in Knott County, in the heart of the rugged wilderness of eastern Kentucky. Despite its beauty and proud history, this region suffers economic troubles that result in widespread poverty and deprivation for many families. Industries such as coal-mining and lumber — once mainstays for employment in Knott County — have dramatically declined, increasing unemployment. Furthermore, due to this region’s remoteness, inaccessibility and small population, new job development is rare. Within the […]

Working with a Shoestring Budget

At Heritage Elementary School, our volunteer coordinator works hard to make little funding go a long way

The small town of Grayson is located in Carter County, Kentucky and is home to Heritage Elementary School — Children Incorporated’s only affiliated project in this Appalachian county. In the 19th century, Carter County was famous for its iron furnaces and thriving clay products industry. Carter Cave — now a tourist attraction — was a significant source of saltpeter during the War of 1812. Coal from this region once fueled factories, powered locomotives and heated millions […]