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With support from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Alabama Education Association, PACERS held a Rural Community Newspaper/Newsmagazine Project workshop at the AEA building in Montgomery, July 27-28, 2007. Attended by 66 students, teachers, and community members from nine schools across the state. The workshop helped develop writing, editing, reporting, business, and layout and design skills and gave participants opportunities to work with others involved in PACERS rural publishing network.

Schools represented at the workshop were Curry HS (Ms. Suzie Walton, sponsor), Loachapoka High and Elementary Schools (Ms. Amanda Escoe, sponsor), Akron West (Diane Stewart, sponsor), Florala Middle School (Brittney Whitman, sponsor), Coffeeville (Derek Pugh, sponsor), Edward Bell (Deidre Hayden, sponsor), Sand Rock (Leah Bates, sponsor), and Gaylesville (Casey Hansard, sponsor). All the schools will be publishing community newspapers or newsmagazines during the 2007-08 school year. They will be assisted by college mentors Natalie Wade and Laura Pitts. Additional funding for the program will be provided through a legislative appropriation.

Research and documentation of the project will be led by Drs. Craig and Aimee Howley, nationally recognized rural education researchers. Outcomes from the research will be available periodically on the PACERS web-site.

Professional volunteers Jim Wrye (AEA), Nan Fairley (Auburn University), and Andrew Goetz (Goetz Photo), led sessions along with Laura Pitts, a University of Alabama journalism student and former editor of the Oakman Times—a PACERS paper. Other college students assisting were Natalie Wade and Ashley Hopkinson from Auburn and Scott Shelton from Birmingham Southern.

For information on the project contact admin@pacersinc.org or see www.pacersinc.org.