Funded by an Appalachian Regional Commission POWER grant, the Social Enterprise Ecosystem (SEE Appalachia) is a project that seeks to make positive changes to health and wellness, education and the environment. SEE assists social enterprises, which combine the social mission of a nonprofit with the market-driven approach of a business, with financing and operational sustainability in every stage, from start-up to eventual growth and expansion.The Voinovich School and its partners, the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio and the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, work throughout a 10-county region in Ohio and West Virginia to support social enterprises that share the project’s goals. Video by 2016-18 Voinovich School Photojournalism Fellow Erin Clark.

Revisiting the original photo essay from 2009-10, Photojournalism Fellow Erin Clark provided updated imagery on the Voinovich School’s progress in ongoing restoration, monitoring and maintenance of Raccoon Creek. The Energy and Environmental team’s focus on community educational and volunteer outreach teaches about watershed protection as an important part of safeguarding our natural world.

Originally featured in a video essay by 2013-2014 Photojournalism Fellow Sarah Tilotta, current fellow Erin Clark revisited Shagbark Seed and Mill, an Athens-area small business making a difference in the food network with the assistance of the Small Business Development Center at Ohio University’s Voinovich School.