Abstract:

Outdoor recreational expenditures and trail-based tourism have increased worldwide. As a result, they are expanding in Appalachia as one alternative to the devastating impact on the community's tax base, population loss, and family wealth by extraction industries. Utilizing the principles of learning by doing and experiential learning, the EPG cohort conducted customer discovery, the business model canvas, and team-based and collaborative learning approaches that enabled participants to pool their interdisciplinary, diverse backgrounds, experiences, skills, and perspectives, fostering creative problem-solving and innovative solutions.

This paper explores the Berea College Entrepreneurship for the Public Good (EPG) Program's impact on rural communities in Central Appalachia. The EPG summer institute is composed of 14 cohort members that integrate five rural strategies proven to increase rural prosperity in international contexts:
(1) area spending capture,
(2) natural resources,
(3) transportation corridors,
(4) tourism, and
(5) regional development initiatives.

Field-based projects intentionally scaffolded with careful planning and community partners are the stepping stones for efforts to revitalize coal-impacted trails and waterways for outdoor recreation. In addition, the civic wealth creation stakeholder framework consistent with prior management and entrepreneurial research serves as the mapping tool for benefitted local agencies and businesses in economically distressed Eastern Kentucky counties. Building on previous EPG databases containing approximately 1,200 small business assets, websites, and social media platforms, students designed a wide range of destinations throughout Eastern Kentucky that promote tourism as a catalyst for economic growth in rural communities.

The paper reveals the student assignment: You only have 36 hours to explore the local-sourced restaurants and breweries and see the unique historical attractions and beautiful mountains. Living in the urban cities, the rural Central Appalachian is packed with endless activities and visiting sights unseen, including mountain towns, hiking and mountain biking trails, and museums. While travelers always suggest staying longer to get to know the area, the people, the customs, and the traditions, you only have time for a quick visit.

EPG cohort members are assigned "traveler personas" created to understand better target audiences' needs and preferences of a specific group so that travel destinations can tailor their marketing and services to meet their particular needs and develop new products and services to better experiences for their customers. The personas include demographic information such as age, gender, income, education, and geographic locations, and psychographic information such as interests, values, attitudes, and behaviors related to travel.

Cohort members share their 36-hour itineraries, creating a presentation using a Google Slide or PowerPoint platform with the class and local tourism professionals. The display includes accommodation choices, photos, vivid descriptions, and personal experiences, 5-7 minutes long.

The paper reveals curriculum components that lead to shifts in students' mindsets, increased knowledge, and tools necessary to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems.

Keywords:

Outdoor recreation, trail-based tourism, Appalachia, EPG cohort, experiential learning, interdisciplinary, civic wealth creation, economic growth.