Remote Workers Become Mountaineers
Ascend West Virginia
OLIVIA MILLER
Photo by Ascend West Virginia .
In April 2020 , Governor Jim Justice and West Virginia University ( WVU ) President Gordon Gee announced a bold plan to attract remote workers to the Morgantown area , the Greenbrier Valley and the Eastern Panhandle — the Ascend West Virginia program . The brainchild of Brad and Alys Smith , the couple looked to WVU and the state to bring the program to life . Ascend West Virginia capitalizes on the untapped potential of the Mountain State ’ s outdoor recreation opportunities , vying to establish West Virginia among states like Colorado and Utah that evoke thoughts of boundless opportunities to play in epic mountains and rivers .
The program sounds almost too good to be true , centered around the ideals of community , purpose and connection and offering a $ 12,000 stipend , a year of free outdoor recreation , coworking space and community building efforts all to live in West Virginia . You could say it almost sounds like heaven . The announcement of this unique chance to live , work and play in the Mountain State was heard around the world . Within 36 hours of the announcement , 2,000 people applied to the program , and a total of 7,500 individuals applied for their chance to relocate to Morgantown before the deadline closed . The applicants came from all 50 states and more than 70 countries . The West Virginia Department of Tourism told WOWK TV in Huntington that within three days , there had been 65,000 inquiries about moving to the state through the program .
Needless to say — a bold response to a bold plan was received .
The program , implemented by WVU ’ s Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative ( OEDC ) alongside the West Virginia Department of Tourism , has attracted new residents across the country by leveraging outdoor recreation for economic prosperity .
“ It ’ s all about community , purpose and the outdoors ,” says Danny Twilley , assistant vice president of economic , community and asset development . “ A core human value is a sense of belonging , and we believe when you connect people — to each other , to a community , to a state — and show them the quality of life you can have in West Virginia through outdoor recreation , it is a recipe for success .”
It is no secret that West Virginia ’ s population has been steadily decreasing over the last decade . According to the U . S . Census , the state lost nearly 60,000 people out of 1.8 million between 2010 and 2020 . A common topic of discussion among long-term West Virginia residents and expats is the
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