For Terry Davidson, a senior at Hazard High School with an interest in public service and community development, Prosper Appalachia has provided more than a first job. It has offered a chance to better understand local government, serve his community, and see a future for himself in Eastern Kentucky.
Prosper Appalachia is EKCEP’s youth workforce development program that connects Eastern Kentucky high school students with career exploration and helps them learn about career paths available to them. After enrolling in Prosper Appalachia, Davidson worked with Career Development Specialist Chandler Wilcox, who learned more about his interests and helped connect him with an internship through Envision Hazard Teens.
Envision Hazard Teens, a youth-focused branch of Envision Hazard, brings students from across Perry County together to learn about local government, take part in community projects, and explore ways young people can help shape the future of their hometowns.
Through Envision Hazard Teens, Davidson has attended city commission and county government meetings, helped with community events, and taken part in planning projects designed to improve Hazard, including work connected to a proposed downtown mural. Those experiences have helped him better understand how local decisions are made and how young people can have a voice in their communities.
“You know, as a young person, before you even get into stuff like this, you don’t know how local government works,” he said. “You don’t know how big government works. And when you take those first steps in an area that you’re not used to, it’s a big eye opener.”
The experience also connects directly to Davidson’s long-term goals. He said his interest in politics and public service began during the COVID pandemic, and his goal is to continue his education before returning home to use what he has learned to help Eastern Kentucky.
“My main goal is to come back, bring my knowledge that I learned from that college and just spread it throughout Eastern Kentucky and Appalachia,” he said.
Prosper Appalachia is built around that idea: helping students explore career pathways while showing them that meaningful opportunities exist close to home. For Davidson, that message is personal. He said many young people grow up believing they have to leave the region to be successful, but his experience has helped change the way he sees his future.
“One thing that’s hurting our youth a lot right now is just the stereotypes that you have to leave our region, go to a bigger college, and not return to be successful,” he said. “And to be honest, that’s not true.”
Davidson said his Prosper internship helped him see the work of local leaders, community organizations, and residents who continue investing in Eastern Kentucky. From flood recovery to downtown revitalization, he said the resilience of local people has shown him why the region is worth working for.
Prosper Appalachia formed in summer 2024 thanks to a generous allocation of funding from the Kentucky General Assembly. EKCEP designed the program so that students not only earn wages and gain workplace skills, but also learn what it means to show up, complete paperwork, track time, and prepare for future employment.
“To be able to go through that process, it’s preparing us for the future and being able to do the paperwork, do the time sheets,” Davidson said. “I mean, it’s just preparing us for the next challenge in life.”
Prosper Appalachia is funded in part through support from the Kentucky General Assembly, but private donations help EKCEP expand critical work experience opportunities for students across Eastern Kentucky. To invest in the future of our region’s young people, donate directly at ekcep.org/donate.
EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. EKCEP is funded by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, along with various federal and state grants and private donations, and is a proud partner in the American Job Center network.