Shaping Our Appalachian Region Inc.

Shaping Our Appalachian Region Inc. (SOAR) is a non-profit organization based in Pikeville, Kentucky, registered in SAM.gov since July 2015, that specializes in economic development and workforce training initiatives across Appalachian communities. The organization focuses on addressing systemic inequities in rural and underserved regions through targeted programs designed to create economic mobility and opportunity in coal-impacted areas of Eastern Kentucky. SOAR operates as a federal grant prime awardee, receiving direct funding from multiple federal agencies to support its mission of transforming Appalachian communities through education, entrepreneurship, and economic development.

SOAR has secured substantial federal grant funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deliver comprehensive services across multiple focus areas. The organization's primary initiatives include the Code Kentucky Training and Job Placement Program, an information technology workforce development program serving 54 Kentucky counties with a target of 490 participants and 150 employment placements, with the program modeled on the successful Code Louisville initiative. SOAR also manages the Eastern Kentucky Runway Recompete Plan, a multi-component EDA-funded initiative running through September 2029 that addresses coal mining decline by connecting residents to training and jobs in healthcare, renewable energy, and remote work sectors through program support staff, emerging technology distribution, digital skills training partnerships with SkillUp and Code KY, case management, and peer mentorship programs. Additional grant work includes entrepreneurship education and access to capital initiatives funded by the ARC's Appalachian Area Development program, community capacity building focused on economic development and leadership development, digital inclusion and connectivity outreach through the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program, and health disparities work delivered as a sub-awardee under the Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services. Current active grants total over $3.3 million in awarded funding across these programs, with performance periods extending through 2029.