Pre-Immersion Ideas

After attending the pre-immersion classes and learning about the situation in Appalachia I believed that I had a pretty good understanding of these problems and possible solutions to them. At the root of the problem of poverty is the lack of industries and jobs in Appalachia. With the economy on the down turn, and the technological advances in the coal mining industry, many people have been left without jobs. Furthermore, the lack of adequate education for many people does not allow them the opportunity to pursue certain careers, and many people that do pursue further education seem to leave the region for their career. Before going to Appalachia I thought the only way to address this problem would be to start promoting better education, and further education at a younger age. If children could be motivated to focus on their education at a younger age then the education of the community as a whole could improve. Hopefully this would lead to growth in the community as well.