ARC Project Snapshot

The Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) grant has been instrumental in expanding the reach and impact of SpaceTrek: Building the Aerospace Workforce Pipeline in Appalachia. Through this investment, Morehead State University and its partners are addressing critical workforce needs while creating new opportunities for students to explore aerospace careers and advanced technology fields. The initiative introduces pre-college students to higher education pathways and provides immersive experiences in aerospace disciplines such as electronics, telecommunications, data analysis, and space mission operations. The ARISE-supported partnership is projected to serve 2,966 participants across 107 counties in Kentucky and West Virginia, strengthening the region’s aerospace talent pipeline.

One of the most significant outcomes of the ARISE investment has been the expansion of the SpacePrep: aerospace exploration workshop program to additional communities across Kentucky. The program now reaches students through partnerships with the Challenger Learning Center in Hazard and Newton’s Attic in Lexington, extending aerospace education from eastern Kentucky into central Kentucky. These new program locations give more middle and high school students access to engaging, hands-on aerospace experiences while introducing them to STEM education, higher education pathways, and future career opportunities. This expanded reach helps ensure that students from diverse communities and backgrounds can begin to envision themselves as part of Kentucky’s aerospace workforce.

The ARISE initiative has also enabled the expansion of SpaceTrek programming into West Virginia through strong cross-state partnerships. The West Virginia Public Education Collaborative’s STEAM Technical Assistance Center, or WVPEC STEAM-TAC, delivers SpacePrep Immersion experiences that provide West Virginia students with authentic aerospace learning opportunities and strengthen connections among education, industry, and workforce development. These experiences are complemented by the SpaceTrek summer program held at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, where students participate in an immersive learning environment designed to deepen their understanding of aerospace disciplines and related educational and career pathways.

A multistate approach is essential to building a strong and sustainable aerospace workforce pipeline across Appalachia. Kentucky’s robust aerospace industry offers significant opportunities for education, employment, and economic growth, while West Virginia’s emerging aerospace industry is creating new possibilities for innovation and workforce development. By connecting students, educators, higher education institutions, community partners, and industry leaders across state lines, the ARISE-funded SpaceTrek initiative creates a broader regional talent network that benefits both states. This collaboration expands access to transformative aerospace experiences and prepares Appalachian students to pursue the education, training, and careers needed to support the region’s evolving aerospace economy.