Raleigh County Schools
Raleigh County is located in southern West Virginia approximately 60 miles from the state capital of Charleston. The school district is comprised of 29 schools, including four high schools, five middle schools, 17 elementary schools and one career-technical center. It ranks as the fifth largest in the state with a studen
t population of over 11,000. The district has an annual operating budget of approximately $140 million and a workforce of over 1,500 administrators, teachers and service personnel.
Raleigh County Schools are focused on tailoring curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of all students. The majority of schools have earned state and national recognition for meeting and maintaining rigorous standards. Eleven county schools hold the distinction of West Virginia Schools of Excellence; two are past National Title I Schools and one is a No Child Left Behind National Blue Ribbon School.
Click here for more information on Raleigh County Schools.
Appalachian Beekeeping Collective
Appalachian Headwaters is a non-profit organization created in 2016 to improve streams, forests, and communities th
roughout central Appalachia.
Headwaters will train displaced and underemployed Appalachians in beekeeping. Their Starter Hive Loan Program will help trainees overcome the economic barriers preventing would-be beekeepers from getting started. With full support from their staff assisting new beekeepers, helping them learn and implement best practices to improve their output. Headwaters will process, market, and distribute products like honey to high-demand markets otherwise inaccessible to small-scale beekeepers.
To learn more about Appalachian Headwaters & the Appalachia Bee Collective click here.
Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine
Tour the underground mine, visit the Coal Camp, the Museum and the Gift Shop stocked with West Virginia items & freshly made fudge in a variety of flavors. The hands-on exhibitions and underground coal mining tour offer wonderful opportunities for visitors to learn, explore, interact and share.
As the focal points of Beckley’s New River Park, the Exhibition Coal Mine and the Youth Museum draw thousands of people to the area annually. The unique underground mine, the recreated coal camp, the Youth Museum and the Mountain Homestead are surrounded by inviting lawns, colorful flowers, picnic areas, an imposing coal miner statue and a whimsical 20 ft. “Peace Totem”.
At the Exhibition Coal Mine, one can ride through the dark passages of a vintage coal mine. The guides are veteran miners and provide firsthand accounts of the daily responsibilities and travail of past and present day miners.
Adjacent to the Exhibition Mine, the Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia is open to the public year round and features an average of three different interactive exhibits yearly.
Behind the Museum’s main building, stands the Mountain Homestead. Developed to enrich history studies, the Museum has recreated a typical settlement on the Appalachian frontier. Trained interpreters explain the importance of each of the eight reconstructed historical building.
The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and Youth Museum will also be the site for the annual Beckley Honey Festival, the third Saturday every August.
For more information, visit them here.