Appalachian Studies

Appalachian Studies Center

Welcome to the ǧ�Ĺ�AV Appalachian Studies Center! As the only Appalachian Studies Center in Georgia, we are dedicated to preserving, cherishing, and adding value to the region and community through programs and research carefully designed to improve the lives of those in the Southern Appalachian area.

Although we are visible in our community and throughout our ǧ�Ĺ�AV campuses, our home base is a charming folk Victorian home in Dahlonega, Georgia known as the Historic Vickery House.

We appreciate that you are here and interested in the Appalachian Studies Center. We have many current projects and even more on the horizon and would love for you to join us. We are always open to new ideas, partnerships, and collaborations within our community.

Email appalachia@ung.edu if you have any questions, project ideas, interest in joining an ongoing project, or just want to say hello!

Support the Appalachian Studies Center

Join us in our mission to honor and contribute to the quality of life of the Georgia Appalachian community. Donations of Appalachian fiction and nonfiction books, folk art, antique furniture, and other historic items, as well as your time and/or financial assistance, can help support this initiative. For more information about ways to give, contact MaryBeth Byerly.

Class project donated to Vickery House

April 12, 2024

Student Jennie Bosman has donated four pavers she designed and created to the Vickery House garden.

Hometown Harvest named Partner in Education

April 1, 2024

Senior Madison Callas played an integral part in the designation of ǧ�Ĺ�AV’s Hometown Harvest as a Lumpkin County 'Partner in Education.'

Bil Lepp to headline Hoag Lecture Series

March 23, 2023

Award-winning storyteller, author and recording artist Bil Lepp will serve as the keynote speaker for ǧ�Ĺ�AV's Hoag Lecture Series on April 12.

GPB highlights Hometown Harvest, ǧ�Ĺ�AV Food Pantry

GPB highlights Vickery House collaborations

March 6, 2023

"A Fork in the Road" on Georgia Public Broadcasting highlighted ǧ�Ĺ�AV's Hometown Harvest collaboration with Lumpkin County Schools and the ǧ�Ĺ�AV Food Pantry.

Single meal or Thanksgiving box available at food pantries

Food pantries supply daily and holiday meals

November 8, 2021

The food pantry on the Dahlonega Campus has provided a place for clients to eat a single meal while the Gainesville Campus food pantry is preparing to supply clients with a Thanksgiving meal.

Hometown Harvest gets grant for outdoor classroom

Gardens get grant for outdoor class

October 6, 2021

The Hometown Harvest program received a $3,000 grant from the Whole Kids Foundation to create an outdoor classroom behind the Historic Vickery House and increase vegetable production. Founded by Whole

Teachers get experience working with 'gifted' students

Camp teaches instructors, students

June 21, 2021

Camp Appalachia, a weeklong daytime summer camp at ǧ�Ĺ�AV, teaches students about Appalachian history and culture through hands-on activities. The program also benefits the instructors, who are professional

New adult program to launch in Blue Ridge

January 11, 2021

ǧ�Ĺ�AV's Institute for Healthy Aging, College of Education's Appalachian Studies Center and the Blue Ridge Campus have joined forces to create a Personal Enrichment, Action and Knowledge Series (PEAKS) for

Food pantry to provide Thanksgiving meals to campus community

November 16, 2020

For the third time, the food pantry on ǧ�Ĺ�AV's Gainesville Campus will provide a turkey and sides for those from any ǧ�Ĺ�AV campus who sign up for the annual giveaway. Thanksgiving boxes will be distributed

Cherokee to share stories of 1800s for Native American Heritage Month

November 2, 2020

Robert RedHawk Eldridge will speak during ǧ�Ĺ�AV's celebration of National Native American Heritage Month in November. His speech is at noon Wednesday, Nov. 4, via Zoom.

Fresh vegetables from ǧ�Ĺ�AV's garden feed Lumpkin County students

September 16, 2020

Fresh radishes, tomatoes, onions, and an assortment of herbs were a few items the University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) supplied the school system this summer and into the fall. The vegetables and herbs were

Camp Appalachia moves educational experience online

May 28, 2020

Camp Appalachia is transitioning to a virtual version this summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual daytime summer camp from June 8-12 focuses its instruction on Appalachian history and culture

EPA workshops reach beyond ǧ�Ĺ�AV's boundaries

February 12, 2020

Dr. Allison Bailey and Dr. Jamie Mitchem, both University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) faculty in the Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis (IESA), used a $100,000 grant from the U.S.

Students and faculty help preserve Mount Hope Cemetery

January 27, 2020

University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) students and faculty across departments continue to collaborate to maintain Mount Hope Cemetery and help the City of Dahlonega promote tourism at the historical cemetery

ǧ�Ĺ�AV libraries preserve history of university and community

October 2, 2019

The University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) Libraries' faculty and staff members work hard to preserve university history as well as local and regional history. In observance of Georgia Archives Month in October,

Bee hotels lead ǧ�Ĺ�AV to participate in pollinator census

July 5, 2019

A collaboration between a ǧ�Ĺ�AV student and two faculty members snowballed from building bee hotels at the Historic Vickery House to the university participating in Georgia's first-ever Great Pollinator

Social justice education conference set for June 19-20

April 17, 2019

Less than two years ago, former University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) faculty member Dr. Adam Jordan and colleagues from the University of Florida (UF), University of North Florida (UNF) and Teaching Tolerance

Students work on trails and garden as part of Alternative Spring Break

March 26, 2019

Ten University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) students took part in an Alternative Spring Break service project at Foxfire, an Appalachian heritage center, in Mountain City, Georgia. One group worked to maintain

Students helping research Vickery House history

February 27, 2019

A week at Monticello this past summer inspired Rosann Kent about the possibilities for the Historic Vickery House, which houses the Appalachian Studies Center at the University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV).

Cumming Campus establishes a food pantry

Cumming Campus establishes its own food pantry

October 22, 2018

In the past three years, three University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) campuses — Dahlonega, Gainesville and Oconee — have opened a food pantry to help students, faculty and staff facing food insecurity issues.

Kent awarded for community contributions

June 29, 2018

Rosann Kent, director of the University of North Georgia's (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) Appalachian Studies Center and lecturer in the College of Education, has received two awards for contributions to the community in Lumpkin

Camp Appalachia provides enrichment via history and culture

May 24, 2018

For the fourth year, the College of Education at the University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) is holding an academic summer camp specifically geared for gifted middle school children.

Students cut trails at Foxfire during spring break

March 26, 2018

Eleven students from the University of North Georgia's Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville, and Oconee campuses plus a couple of ǧ�Ĺ�AV staff members participated in the Alternative Service Break at Foxfire.

Storytellers tell tall tales to raise money for ǧ�Ĺ�AV, Blue Ridge Community Theater

October 30, 2017

Fits of laughter to gasps of surprise could be heard throughout the Blue Ridge Community Theater as storytellers wove their sometimes tall and occasionally truthful tales Oct. 19 during the inaugural "Haunts

ǧ�Ĺ�AV professors and community members jam to old-time music and preserve history

October 11, 2017

Every Friday afternoon, sounds from banjos, fiddles and guitars resonate through the Historic Vickery House on the University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) Dahlonega Campus.

Appalachian Studies Center opens Hoop House at ǧ�Ĺ�AV

May 15, 2017

University of North Georgia’s (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) College of Education unveiled a new greenhouse, known as the Hometown Harvest Hoop House, at the Appalachian Studies Center (ASC) on the Dahlonega Campus on May 10.

ǧ�Ĺ�AV partners with Fannin High for outdoor learning

March 6, 2017

ǧ�Ĺ�AV's Blue Ridge Campus and the Appalachian Studies Center in Dahlonega have partnered for the second year with Fannin County High School to bring programs and speakers focused on outdoor learning to high

ǧ�Ĺ�AV opens second food pantry for students in need

January 9, 2017

This past year, the University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) established a food pantry on its Gainesville Campus to help combat food insecurity among students, staff and faculty in need. Since April 2016, the

ǧ�Ĺ�AV students preserve Appalachian culture through art

November 30, 2016

Students and faculty from the Appalachian Studies Center at the University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) are traveling to Washington D.C. for the fifth year in a row to present their art-based research on traditional

Appalachian Studies Center to participate in Foxfire's 50th

Appalachian Center to participate in Foxfire's 50th

June 21, 2016

A group of students and faculty from the University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) Appalachian Studies Center will perform "Every Seed Has a Story" as part of the Foxfire 50th/30th Anniversary Education Conference.

ǧ�Ĺ�AV offers Appalachian-focused summer program for gifted children

June 7, 2016

The University of North Georgia's (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) Appalachian Studies Center, a unit of the College of Education, is hosting its second academic summer camp for gifted middle school students that focuses on Appalachian

ǧ�Ĺ�AV's Appalachian studies' makes mark in Blue Ridge

March 8, 2016

With north Georgia serving as the gateway to the Appalachian region, the University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) finds many opportunities to celebrate the mountainous area's vibrant culture.

Grant for Appalachian Studies Center to help libraries store seeds and stories

October 25, 2015

For the fourth consecutive year, the Appalachian Studies Center at ǧ�Ĺ�AV has received a grant from the Appalachian Teaching Project to work with community partners to build a sustainable future for Appalachian

Camp Appalachia teaches history, skills

July 1, 2015

Camp Appalachia, held June 15-19 at the University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV), culminated with a living-history inspired "museum," with exhibits like gravestone rubbings and gourd masks that campers prepared

ǧ�Ĺ�AV offers Appalachian-focused summer program for gifted children

May 20, 2015

The College of Education at the University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) is holding its first academic summer camp specifically for gifted middle school children. Camp Appalachia, set for June 15-19 at ǧ�Ĺ�AV's

Appalachian Studies Center earns grant to encourage local food

September 19, 2014

The Appalachian Studies Center at the University of North Georgia (ǧ�Ĺ�AV) will use a $4,000 grant from the Appalachian Teaching Project to work with community partners to research and encourage locally sourced

Biology student earns national award for civic contributions

March 24, 2014

Jessica Murray, a senior majoring in biology at the University of North Georgia, has been recognized as a 2014 Newman Civic Fellow. Murray, who is from Gwinnett County, is one of only 197 students from

Author to talk about Appalachian ecology

ǧ�Ĺ�AV to host pair of writers discussing cinema, ecology

February 19, 2013

In March, the University of North Georgia welcomes history professor Dr. James B. Hunt to talk about the ecology of Appalachia.

Heirloom seed project

January 29, 2013

A University of North Georgia research project that started with just a simple idea of collecting heirloom seeds from the surrounding communities has grown far beyond the scope originally intended.

ǧ�Ĺ�AV