Ohio Folk CenterNetwork
Uniting community-based sites across Southeast Ohio to preserve Appalachian heritage, foster wellness, and build a sustainable future with collaboration through arts, education, and social service partnerships. Our cooperative approach is designed to catalyze economic diversification through small business support, entrepreneurship training, and tourism.
United Plant Savers / Brickhouse Apothecary
Meigs County, Ohio
The strongest financially with diverse income streams, a strong membership base, and existing staff. UPS is already practiced at attracting a national audience and is best positioned to lead future efforts.
Federal Valley Resource Center
Athens County, Ohio
Excels in offering on-site services and holding community trust. Currently functions with an all-volunteer board, working toward adding paid staff to ensure long-term sustainability.
Little Cities of Black Diamonds
Perry County, Ohio
Regional organization representing a network of 75 communities across Athens, Hocking, Morgan and Perry County. Experienced in heritage-based community development, and deeply rooted in southeast Ohio’s coal towns. Collaborates with Corning-Monroe Civic Center satellite.
A Network Fostering Appalachian Success
The Ohio Folk Center Network represents a novel approach to community development, uniting arts, social services, and education under one collaborative umbrella.
Rather than creating a single consolidated center, our network allows each partner site to maintain its unique identity while sharing resources, programming, and a commitment to building a sustainable future for Southeast Ohio.
“The co-location of social services within arts organizations is a novel and promising aspect, with proven benefits for fostering social inclusion.”
— OFC Network Feasibility Study
Business Creation and Support
Building workforce and entrepreneurial ecosystems through partnership with career development organizations.
Collaboration
Inspired by folk schools and settlement institutions and applying economic diversification strategies.
Community Wellness
Co-locating social services within arts organizations to foster inclusion and reduce stigma.
Culture and Tourism
Preserving Appalachian heritage through folk arts programming that attracts national attention.
From Planning to Implementation
Framing for our next steps comes from an ARC-funded planning grant where we identified four key areas of focus to solidify, operationalize, and expand the network.
Folk Center Association
Develop a formal association to coordinate network activities and share resources.
Existing Nonprofit Partnership
Work with an established nonprofit organization to provide administrative infrastructure.
Site-Based Staffing
Employ one dedicated staff member at each partner site to ensure consistent programming.
Coordinated Approach
Combine site staffing with a shared Folk Center Coordinator for network-wide initiatives.
Studies and Research
The Ohio Folk Center Network is based on findings from an ARC-funded Planning Grant and other studies demonstrating the value of the settlement school, folk school, and other Appalachian-based movements. Explore the OFC Network Feasibility Study and companion research that underpin our methods.
