The Central Appalachian Network strives to maximize the impact of collective work by fostering peer-to-peer learning and economic opportunities.
How We Work
CAN is a network of networks led by a Leadership Team comprising a cohort of mentor organizations alongside the co-chairs of each Working Group. The Working Groups are sector-focused networks that coordinate regional analysis and strategies in areas such as Energy; Food and Sustainable Agricultural Systems; Reuse (Materials management and circular economy); Community Resilience; and Ecological Restoration. The larger Central Appalachian Network includes the participants of these sector-based Working Groups, along with an open invitation to those that wish to engage CAN in their own work and community.
Our network of practitioner partners includes nearly 100 different organizations working on community economic development, including nonprofits, local government agencies, lenders, community groups, social enterprises, and academic institutions. These networks are creating economic opportunities that are building on our cultural assets, natural resources, and meeting the needs of our region’s people.