Echoes From the Mountains
Echoes from the Mountains is a research-informed professional learning and writing project created in response to the impact of Hurricane Helene on Western North Carolina educators and students.
Through professional learning and classroom writing experiences, teachers and students explore adversity, belonging, place, community, and resilience.
At the heart of the project is a simple idea: The people who experienced Helene should have opportunities to tell the stories of what came after it.
Who Echoes Serves
The current project includes 40 middle-grades ELA teachers from eight Western North Carolina counties: Ashe, Buncombe, Burke, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Transylvania, and Watauga
The study includes:
- 20 Treatment Teachers
Participate in professional learning and implement the writing intervention.
- 20 Comparison Teachers
Provide a comparison group for the research study.
Students in participating classrooms are also a part of the project through classroom writing experiences and research activities.
Looking Ahead
The next phase of Echoes from the Mountains will bring the individual classroom experiences together into a larger regional story.
Anthology
Self-selected student and teacher writing will be compiled into a published Echoes from the Mountains anthology and shared with participating students, educators, and families.
Celebration
Students, families, educators, and partners will be invited to a culminating celebration recognizing participants, sharing selected writing, announcing writing awards, and debuting the anthology.
Mini-Documentary
This project will be documented through interviews with participating educators and the project team, classroom and community imagery, and footage from the culminating celebration.
2027 Expansion
The proposed next phase would add a high school cohort, continue the research, and expand dissemination of the project.