The Georgia Appalachian Studies Center is located in the historic Vickery House. Its mission is to assist Appalachian residents in “learning and living the Appalachian story.”
Located in the NGCSU School of Education, the Center is organized under four areas. Our staff and members of our advisory board call them our four “appals.” These are:
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Appalachian Learning Center at the historic Vickery House |
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Appalachian Community Studies Certificate Program |
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Appalachian Studies Research Collection |
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Appalachian Academics |
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Through these “appals,” we seek to build preserve, share, and honor Appalachian culture while cultivating community relationships and partners.
We are proud of our accomplishments. For example, over the last three and a half years, the Center
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Was proclaimed by the General Assembly of Georgia as the official center for the study of Appalachia in Georgia |
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Founded GACHE, the Georgia Appalachian Studies Center for Higher Education |
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Moved to facilities to the Vickery House so that it may assist with the Dahlonega Club charge that came with the deed of gift, promote regional and local culture and history |
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Developed a Strategic Plan with a set of goals |
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Secured a major conference, the 2010 Appalachian Studies Association Conference, for the campus, community, state, and region |
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Founded the Georgia Pick and Bow Traditional Music School with an enrollment of between 25 – 34 students and employing five instructors and a director |
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Founded the Georgia Mountain Cultural Tourism Alliance for the northern part of the state |
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Promoted cultural tourism, such as
- Traveling Smithsonian exhibit
- Southeastern Bluegrass Association jams
- Storytelling events
- Annual seed swaps
- Dahlonega Appalachian Jam
- Farmers Market
- Dahlonega Contra Dance
- Saving Appalachian Gardens and Stories
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Secured a three year contract with the Georgia Council for the Arts to administer its Grassroots Arts Program for our region |
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Entered the state of Georgia into the Appalachian Teaching Project; NGCSU continues to participate today |
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Accepted the responsibility for leading the Appalachian Studies Association (Dr. Alice Sampson serves as 2009-2020 ASA president) |
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Installed an internship program for art marketing, history, and public administration students |
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Has created a non credit certificate program on Appalachian Studies—a program unlike any found in the United States |
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| Future plans include |
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Moving an 1832 log cabin to Vickery House campus. The Smulian-Thompson cabin is one of the oldest structures in Lumpkin County. |
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Building an annex to the Vickery House. Plans for the annex currently include a large activity room, ADA bathrooms, an art gallery, catering station, and Center staff offices. Thanks to Richard Owens, who developed the master plan for the annex and the Vickery House campus. |
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Partnering with the NGCSU Visual Arts Department to develop an Appalachian Arts Leadership project, focusing on local community entrepreneurship |
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Partnering with the NGCSU School of Arts and Letters and install a tuition-generating program, offering courses and providing experiential education opportunities via a learning lab at the historic Vickery House |
