A collaborative effort between the cities of Keystone and Northfork, and WV FREE and the WV FREE Action Fund. In December 2011, WV Women’s Commission staff, WV FREE Executive Director and staff, and Jeff Allen went on a “listening tour” in McDowell County and Bluefield, WV. They met with key stakeholders in Bluefield, Welch, Keystone, and Northfork, including members of the faith community, directors and staff from multiple non-profit organizations, County Commissioner Gordon Lambert, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in McDowell County, and other community leaders. All groups represented expressed a significant interest in reducing the teen pregnancy rate and improving opportunities for adolescents; however, members of the Keystone and Northfork community demonstrated the greatest interest in partnership. After meeting with community leaders in 2011 to discuss the assets and needs within Eastern McDowell County in relation to youth activities and opportunities, and making a commitment to the communities to begin outreach in the Keystone/Northfork area, stakeholders decided the next step was to include youth in the planning stages of the activities. In January 2012, Jeff Allen and Rachel Huff, Education & Outreach Manager with WV FREE helped facilitate a “Sky’s the limit” exercise with Keystone & Northfork youth in which participants were asked: If the “sky was the limit” what would your community look like? The ideas that were generated ranged from building a recreational center with a pool and basketball court to cooking classes. The youth’s ideas were used to develop an outline for the 2012 summer program, “The Sky’s the Limit.”
