May 2020 Newsletter
Greetings from Coal Country!

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Utah Coal Country Strike Team has continued to meet and put plans in motion. Here are some highlights from the Utah Coal Country Strike Team:
  • Launch of Silicon Slopes East
  • Grant funds awarded to Price City and Castle Dale City for regional economic diversification and downtown beautification
  • Coal Country Scholars were awarded scholarships to Utah State University Eastern
  • Construction of coworking spaces in Carbon and Emery Counties
  • Creation of a regional tourism plan and development of a tourism grant program for tourism related projects in Carbon and Emery Counties.

For a more in-depth view of what the Utah Coal Country Strike Team has been doing, please see the quarterly report.

Coal Country Scholars

The Utah Coal Country Strike Team has awarded nearly $200,000 in scholarships to students at Utah State University Eastern to provide workforce training in IT and other industries.

Eighty (80) students were selected to become Coal Country Scholars with an average award amount of nearly $2,500. Students selected were enrolled in twenty-eight (28) CTE certifications ranging from automotive/diesel mechanics to IT/web development along with thirteen (13) bachelor's degrees ranging from accounting, economics, management to technology systems, social work, and recreation resource management.

The Utah Coal Country Strike Team is gearing up to award another round of Coal Country Scholars to USU Eastern for the next academic year.
Tourism
Helper, Utah is becoming a hot spot for art studios and art galleries. This iconic mining town has the potential to be a vibrant urban getaway. Click here to learn more about the Helper Arts Festival.

Other attractions in the region include the San Rafael Swell, Buckhorn Wash, Range Creek, 9-Mile Canyon, Goblin Valley, Scofield State Park and more sites that attract visitors from around the world.
Emery County Highlight!
Goblin Valley State Park
Coworking Space Construction at the Business and Technical Assistance Center (BTAC)
Coworking spaces are a product of the modern era. All that is needed is a WiFi connection and a professional workspace. One thing that we all have learned from COVID-19 is that remote working can be successful! Remote work and coworking are likely to become even more prevalent in the future as both, people and organizations, understand the benefits and ease of working remotely.
Visit the BTAC's website to see more of the construction process and the coworking space come to life!
Small Towns in the US with Fast Internet for Remote Workers
Speaking of coworking and remote work, Price, UT has made a list of affordable small towns in the US with fast internet for remote workers. Check out the article below. Thanks, Emery Telcom!
The Utah Coal Country Strike Team serves the coal communities of Carbon and Emery counties by raising incomes and diversifying the economy. The Strike Team includes a multi-disciplinary team of experts who, with the support of the Utah Legislature and national funder Schmidt Futures, assist with public policies and invest in workforce training, tourism infrastructure, housing revitalization and economic development incentives. For more information, visit https://coalcountrystriketeam.com/