DDAA Monthly: December 2024❄️

December 5, 2024 | Diana Romero

For all your LDD news!

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DDAA Monthly

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Feature

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Fort Payne’s BEAT Center: Shaping the Future of STEM Careers in Alabama

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The Fort Payne Alabama School District, which sits within the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG), built its Building, Electric, and Aviation Technology (BEAT) Center. This Center is a STEM-focused vocational building which will provide students with career specific training in three pathways: Building/Construction, Electric Automotive, and Aviation Technology.

The BEAT Center consists of one classroom setting with three simulated workplace bays to house the three programs. Innovative simulated curriculum programs will be used in each vocational career pathway to ensure that students will be credentialed and capable of being employed in their chosen field.

The Center was built with a $1 million grant through the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Southern Appalachian Automotive Worker (SAAW). At the ribbon cutting, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey talked about the importance of such facilities for education, employment, and economic growth. She further called the school system a trendsetter for career ready education so students have a job by the time they earn their high school diploma.

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DDAA Announces Annual Conference!

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The Development District Association of Appalachia is holding its Annual Conference in Arlington, Virginia from March 9-12, 2025. We plan to share cutting-edge ideas, highlight success stories and lessons learned, and engage with other LDDs during our annual gathering. DDAA is seeking compelling session proposals to ensure a comprehensive program.

Join the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for sessions focused on regional development, the federal landscape, and the programs and policies that matter most to Local Development Districts and their stakeholders.

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News

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Empowering Communities: How County Leaders are Tackling the Opioid Crisis Head-On

Fewer People Are Moving Out of Rural Counties Since COVID-19

How Community Development Financing is Different

Major IIJA and IRA funding opportunities for rural America will be implemented by intermediaries—and may take years

Partnership Helps Rural Cooperatives Thrive in Appalachian Ohio

Pennsylvania Nonprofits Awarded $18.5 Million from Appalachian Regional Commission

SBA Delays Deadline for Disaster Loans, Opens New PLOC Center in Greenwood Co.

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Shawnee State University Awarded Nearly $2 million to Boost High-Tech Manufacturing Workforce in Appalachia

Tennessee RiverLine Secures $500,000 Appalachian Regional Commission Grant For River Experience Planning And Design Standards

The Future of Regional Economic Development and Implications for U.S. Economic Development Administration Programs

To Promote Appalachian Business Growth, Five Pennsylvania Organizations Will Receive Funding

West Virginia Department of Human Services Releases Update on Drop in Overdose Deaths

West Virginians Look to Find a Place for Solar Power in Coal Country

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Research

Appalachian Data Portal

Classifying Economic Distress in Appalachian Counties, ARC

NextStreet and ARC: New Report on Appalachia’s Small Businesses

Revitalizing Appalachia: SHRM Study Uncovers Employer-Led Pathways to Renew Coal-Impacted Communities

Spotlight PA Opioid Settlement Database

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Events

Appalachian Regional Truck Parking Study Webinar

December 17, 2024

3:00 – 4:00 PM

More Information

2025 DDAA Annual Conference

Mar 09-12, 2025

Arlington, VA

More Information

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Grant Opportunities

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U.S. Department of Agriculture: Seeks Applications to Support Economic Development and Create Jobs in Rural Communities

Application Deadlines:

Second Quarter: December 31, 2024
Third Quarter: March 31, 2025
Fourth Quarter: June 30, 2025

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Strategic Prevention Framework

Deadline: February 2, 2025

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Appalachian Solar Finance Fund

Deadline: Rolling

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Pioneering Ideas: Exploring the Future to Build a Culture of Health

Deadline: Rolling

AmeriCorps: Formula Grants

Deadline: Rolling

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program

Deadline: Rolling

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program

Deadline: Rolling

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DDAA Website

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ARC Website

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CREC Website

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NADO Website

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