CFNRV Annual Report 2018-2019

A YEAR IN REVIEW Supporting New and Ongoing Programs

Encouraging a Love for Appalachian Music

The CFNRV has been pleased to support the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program in Montgomery County since 2017. JAM is an after school program offering traditional Appalachian music education for youth ages 8-14, and is available to any elementary age student in Montgomery County. Children learn to play and dance to old time and bluegrass music, while learning about the history and culture of Appalachia. JAM believes that children who are actively engaged in the joy of participating in traditional mountain music together are better prepared to strengthen their communities for future generations. Among several local performances, JAM participants delighted over 150 attendees at the 2019 Livability in Action Information Exchange at the German Club.

Children participating in the Junior Appalachian Musicians program in Montgomery County.

Revitalizing the Calfee Training School In November 2018, the CFNRV awarded $5,000 to support a visioning process for the adaptive reuse of the Calfee Training School. Built in the late 19th century to educate African American children in Pulaski, and later rebuilt after a fire in 1938, the Calfee Training School and the adjacent T.G. Howard Center were abandoned in recent years. A group of individuals and organizations are now working to renovate the building to include a childcare center and a museum dedicated to telling the stories of African Americans in Pulaski. The visioning process focused on identifying uses for the back half of the building and attracted 150 attendees including Calfee alumni, community members, and local and state elected officials. Twenty percent of the participants were under 40-years- old, engaging a new generation in celebrating and reviving the rich history of Pulaski. In addition to supporting the sessions, the CFNRV’s grant was leveraged to secure an additional Virginia Humanities grant and interest from other state and federal funding agencies.

Photos courtesy of JAM and CFNRV

Ed Lawhorn, CFNRV President, presents a grant check to Allison Hunter and Janet Johnson for the Calfee School project in Pulaski.

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2018 - 2019 ANNUAL REPORT