STAY Project Summer Institute 2026
We’re excited to announce that our 2026 annual STAY Summer Institute will be held in Western North Carolina, Thursday-Sunday, July 23rd-26th!
We invite youth aged 14-30 years old living across central and southern Appalachia to join STAY or a 4-day in-person assembly fully of fun, friendship, and collective learning as we discuss issues we’re facing in our communitiesand make plans of action about what we want to do about it as Appalachian youth. We’ll eat good, enjoy workshops, a talent show, and so much more.
Share with your folks, bring a friend, tap in and REGISTER TODAY! We can’t wait to see you! Registration will close on Tuesday June 30th at midnight in your timezone :)
STAY For Dinner - Charleston, WV
Join us for STAY for Dinner being hosted on Friday, June 26th 2026 from 6:00pm-8:30pm in Charleston, WV in collaboration with Appalachian Center for Equality (ACE) and Fairshake Environmental Legal Services <3 We're excited to share a meal with you, introduce the Stay Together Appalachian Youth (STAY) Project and ways you can get involved, watch the Appalshop classic film "Chemical Valley," and have a discussion about the film and how to apply its lessons toward organizing and defending our communities now.
STAY Project leaders are hosting STAY for Dinner gatherings across the region over the next couple months with the goal of introducing STAY, rooting into, and building relationships with young people in their home communities. STAY for Dinner is an opportunity to share a meal, build relationships and community, discuss the issues we’re facing as young people in our communities, and create plans for how we want to organize in our local contexts.
STAY For Dinner - Portsmouth, OH
Join us for STAY For Dinner on Wednesday, June 24th, 5-8pm, Portsmouth, Ohio! We're excited to share a meal with you, enjoy some facilitated activities to talk about issues we face in our community, and introduce the Stay Together Appalachian Youth (STAY) Project.
STAY Project leaders are hosting STAY for Dinner gatherings across the region over the next couple months with the goal of introducing STAY, rooting into, and building relationships with young people in their home communities. STAY for Dinner is an opportunity to share a meal, build relationships and community, discuss the issues we’re facing as young people in our communities, and create plans for how we want to organize in our local contexts.
Juneteenth Celebration - Big Stone Gap, VA
Join us for the 6th annual Juneteenth Celebration in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, at Italy Bottom Park. Saturday, June 20th, starting at noon.
315 East River St N. Enjoy free food, vendors, entertainment, children’s inflatables, sunshine, and community!
STAY For Dinner - Gadsden, AL
Join us for STAY For Dinner on Saturday, May 30th, 5-7pm, Gadsden, Alabama! We're excited to share a meal with you, enjoy some facilitated activities to talk about issues we face in our community, and introduce the Stay Together Appalachian Youth (STAY) Project.
STAY Project leaders are hosting STAY for Dinner gatherings across the region over the next couple months with the goal of introducing STAY, rooting into, and building relationships with young people in their home communities. STAY for Dinner is an opportunity to share a meal, build relationships and community, discuss the issues we’re facing as young people in our communities, and create plans for how we want to organize in our local contexts.
STAY For Dinner - Boone, NC
Join us for STAY For Dinner on Friday, June 12th, 5:00-7:00PM, at Crop & Trade Co-Op in Boone, NC.
STAY Project leaders are hosting STAY for Dinner gatherings across the region over the next couple months with the goal of introducing STAY, rooting into, and building relationships with young people in their home communities. STAY for Dinner is an opportunity to share a meal, build relationships and community, discuss the issues we’re facing as young people in our communities, and create plans for how we want to organize in our local contexts. Our STAY for Dinner Toolkit is linked on our website.
STAY Studies - First Aid Training
REGISTER HERE - Join us for STAY Studies on Thursday, June 11th at 6:00PM ET for a basic First Aid Training with Beau Morgan.
Beau Morgan is a paramedic and future rural family medicine physician based in East Tennessee. They have been practicing street medicine and harm reduction for over a decade in Appalachia.
STAY For Dinner - Chattanooga, TN
STAY for Dinner is being hosted on Tuesday, June 9th 2026 from 5:00pm-7:00pm in Chattanooga, TN. We're excited to share a meal with you, enjoy some facilitated activities to talk about issues we face in our community, and introduce the Stay Together Appalachian Youth (STAY) Project.
STAY Project leaders are hosting STAY for Dinner gatherings across the region over the next couple months with the goal of introducing STAY, rooting into, and building relationships with young people in their home communities. STAY for Dinner is an opportunity to share a meal, build relationships and community, discuss the issues we’re facing as young people in our communities, and create plans for how we want to organize in our local contexts.
STAY For Dinner - Knoxville, TN
STAY for Dinner is being hosted on Mon, June 8th 2026 from 5:00pm-7:00pm in Knoxville, TN at the Cansler Family YMCA. We’re collabing with our friends, The Kaleidoscope Collective!
Come join us for pizza & board game night & crafts! Bring your favorite board game/card game or an art project & learn about STAY, the STAY Summer Institute, and connect with like minded community in a joyful way!!!
Please RSVP here and feel welcome to bring a friend :)
STAY For Dinner - Elkins, WV
In collaboration with West Virginia Creative Network, join us for STAY For Dinner in Elkins, WV, June 5th, 6:00 PM. Enjoy an open mic, dinner, and activities.
STAY Project leaders are hosting STAY for Dinner gatherings across the region over the next couple months with the goal of introducing STAY, rooting into, and building relationships with young people in their home communities. STAY for Dinner is an opportunity to share a meal, build relationships and community, discuss the issues we’re facing as young people in our communities, and create plans for how we want to organize in our local contexts.
STAY For Dinner - Whitesburg, KY
Join us for STAY For Dinner on Saturday, May 30th, 5-7pm, Whitesburg, KY! In collaboration with The Pond, we are excited to host you, have dinner, enjoy activities, and introduce you to STAY.
STAY Project leaders are hosting STAY for Dinner gatherings across the region over the next couple months with the goal of introducing STAY, rooting into, and building relationships with young people in their home communities. STAY for Dinner is an opportunity to share a meal, build relationships and community, discuss the issues we’re facing as young people in our communities, and create plans for how we want to organize in our local contexts.
STAY Studies - Conflict Resolution Training
REGISTER HERE
Join us online for STAY Studies on Thursday, May 28th, 6:00 PM ET for a Conflict Resolution Training with Jonathan McRay.
Jonathan McRay is a father, farmer, facilitator, and writer. He grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee and now lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. He farms with Silver Run Forest Farm, an agroforestry nursery rooted in living soil and living well to propagate beautiful and useful tree crops and plant allies that cross-pollinate food sovereignty and ecological restoration.
He support grassroots groups an social movement organizations as a teacher and mediator through conflict transformation, restorative justice, and participatory decision-making. He resists and builds with local organizations, regionally with Southern Movement Assembly and the Mycena Agroforestry Initiative, and internationally in Palestine. Jonathan does what he loves because he loves the beautiful biodiversity of rainbow coalitions to grow good life.
STAY For Dinner - Knoxville, TN
Join us for a cookout at Victor Ashe Park on May 22nd, 5-7pm, Knoxville, TN! STAY Project leaders are hosting STAY for Dinner gatherings across the region over the next couple months with the goal of introducing STAY, rooting into, and building relationships with young people in their home communities. STAY for Dinner is an opportunity to share a meal, build relationships and community, discuss the issues we’re facing as young people in our communities, and create plans for how we want to organize in our local contexts.
Black Appalachian Young and Rising 2025 Annual Gathering
Black Appalachian Young & Rising (BAYR) is excited to bring Black youth living and working in Appalachia together for a special gathering on September 18-21 in North-Central Alabama (specific location TBA).
🐻 BAYR's mission is to empower black youth in Appalachian, and the annual BAYR Gathering is one of the primary ways we work to achieve that goal! To that end, the BAYR Gathering is a place where Black youth interested in addressing social justice issues and serving their communities spend a weekend in an open and supportive environment that facilitates idea sharing, leadership development, resource sharing & relationship building. Over the weekend, participants will be immersed in different workshops, activities & group discussions.
FILL OUT THE INTEREST FORM HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_r79GDLoL7ujlEEx3BxTOdQ0lrptPBvP1FTishUUHd9lZ2g/viewform
The STAY Project Summer Institute 2025
We're excited to announce our 2025 annual STAY Summer Institute which will be held at Grace Point Camp and Conference Center in Kingston, Tennessee, Thursday-Sunday July 24-27th!!! We hope you can join us for what promises to be a weekend full of fun, friendship, and collective learning.
Registration will close on MONDAY, JUNE 30th at MIDNIGHT in your timezone! with an approximated 60 attendees. Please take a few moments to fill out the questions below with as much detail as possible to help us give you the best SSI experience.
The purpose of the STAY Summer Institute (SSI) is to bring young people living across central and southern Appalachia together to ground in the political reality of what we are facing as youth right now and to make a plan of action about what we want to do about it. We're coming together to learn from each other, share skills, make friends, build a political and cultural analysis, and have fun!
Registration Deadline for SSI 2025!
Monday, June 30th at Midnight in your timezone is the LAST day to REGISTER for the STAY Project Summer Institute 2025! Tell your friends to register!!! Register here: bit.ly/STAY2025
Source: http://bit.ly/STAY2025
STAY For Dinner in Knoxville, TN
Join us for STAY for Dinner in Knoxville, TN, on Friday, June 27th at 6:00pm. Email connect@thestayproject.net for the address!
STAY for Dinner is a local community event hosted by the STAY Project for community members to get together, have dinner, enjoy activities to discuss what issues we’re facing in our community and how we want to change them. Unlike our other programs, STAY for Dinner is open to adult allies, but we prioritize young people 14-30 as always.
STAY For Dinner in Chattanooga, TN
Join us for STAY for Dinner in Chattanooga, TN, on Thursday, June 26th at 5:00pm. Registration link dropping soon!
Address will be sent to you after you register! STAY for Dinner is a local community event hosted by the STAY Project for community members to get together, have dinner, enjoy activities to discuss what issues we’re facing in our community and how we want to change them. Unlike our other programs, STAY for Dinner is open to adult allies, but we prioritize young people 14-30 as always.
STAY For Dinner in Charleston, WV
Join us for STAY for Dinner in Charleston, WV on Tuesday, June 24th at 5:00pm. REGISTER AT: bit.ly/wvs4d
Address will be sent to you after you register! STAY for Dinner is a local community event hosted by the STAY Project for community members to get together, have dinner, enjoy activities to discuss what issues we’re facing in our community and how we want to change them. Unlike our other programs, STAY for Dinner is open to adult allies, but we prioritize young people 14-30 as always.
Juneteenth in Big Stone Gap
Join us for the fifth annual Juneteenth celebration in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, at Italy Bottom Park, from 11:00am-5:00pm. 315 East River St N, Big Stone Gap, VA. Enjoy free food, vendors, inflatables, talent show with prize!
STAY Summer Institute Interest Call
Join the STAY Project on Zoom to learn about the STAY Summer Institute 2025! Meet STAY leaders, learn about what SSI is, what we’ll be doing at SSI this year, meet other young people who will be coming, and learn how to register for SSI! Register for the call at: bit.ly/INTEREST2025
STAY For Dinner in Big Stone Gap, VA
Join us for STAY for Dinner in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, on Monday, June 12th at 6:00pm at the Big Stone Gap Visitor’s Center. STAY for Dinner is a local community event hosted by the STAY Project for community members to get together, have dinner, enjoy activities to discuss what issues we’re facing in our community and how we want to change them. Unlike our other programs, STAY for Dinner is open to adult allies, but we prioritize young people 14-30 as always.
BAYR Regional Call
Join Black Appalachian Young and Rising for a Regional Call to connect with other Black youth across Appalachia on Thursday, June 12th, at 6:00pm Eastern (5:00pm Central). Learn more about what BAYR has been up to, about the Black youth gathering in September, and how to get connected! Register by clicking on the flyer :)