Westminster Students to Conduct Feasibility Study for Amish Shop
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Westminster College has been selected as one of 16 Appalachian colleges and universities to participate in the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative this fall.
With a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, Westminster students will conduct a feasibility study for the development of a shop featuring Amish goods and works by local artists and artisans.
“This impactful project exemplifies the variety of deep experiential educational opportunities available to students and supports the college’s commitment to supporting the economic vitality of our region,” Westminster College President Kathy Brittain Richardson said.
Under the mentorship of Eric Gaber, director of the Westminster Entrepreneurship Center and entrepreneur in residence at Westminster College, and Helen Boylan, faculty fellow for community engagement and professor of environmental science, 27 students from the center are enrolled in an entrepreneurship practicum course. They are currently working with representatives from the New Wilmington Economic Development Committee, the New Wilmington Area Business Association and Forward Lawrence, the partnership between the Lawrence County Regional Chamber of Commerce and Lawrence County Economic Development Corp.
“At the WEC, we strive to afford students real-world situational analysis with projects just like this one,” said Gaber, adding that students in the Appalachian initiative will conduct primary and secondary market research, provide competitive analysis, offer financial modeling and conceptualize a prospective business plan for the venture that would be based in New Wilmington’s business district.
The practicum course will conclude when students present their work to other students, Appalachian Regional Commission leadership and Appalachian community leaders at the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative Capstone Symposium in the Washington, D.C., area Dec. 6-7.
Since 2001, more than 3,000 students from 34 colleges and universities across Appalachia have participated in the Appalachian College Research Initiative. Administered by East Tennessee State University, ACRI is an applied research training program for Appalachian college students to support economic development initiatives for their communities. Participating ACRI students receive college credit to conduct field research and design economic development initiatives that address issues in their communities.
In this year’s ACRI, 16 institutions represent nine Appalachian states. In addition to Westminster, the selected schools include Alfred State College (New York), Appalachian State University (North Carolina), East Tennessee State University, Emory and Henry University (Virginia), Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Marietta College (Ohio), Marshall University (West Virginia), Morehead State University (Kentucky), Muskingum University (Ohio), Ohio University, Radford University (Virginia), Seton Hill University (Pennsylvania), University of Charleston (West Virginia), University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
