and Technical College System (KCTCS) and sponsors programs at Big Sandy, Hazard, Madisonville and

Southeast Kentucky community and technical colleges, was recognized for its efforts to assist rural

colleges to develop and enhance mining programming, both in the United States and Canada, at a

meeting of the Rural Community College Alliance in Albuquerque, NM in late September.

Accepting the award on behalf of the Kentucky Coal Academy was Dr. Bill Higginbotham, director,

who has travelled to Minnesota, Colorado, West Virginia—as well as Canada—to discuss the innovative

ways in which colleges that participate in the academy are developing curricula around state-of-the-art

simulators that often allow training to take place in a classroom setting rather than at a mine site.

In addition to serving community colleges in Kentucky’s coal fields, the KCA has worked with

several local school districts to develop junior coal academies that promote curriculum development

in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.

Through its member colleges, the Kentucky Coal Academy has provided training for more than

13,000 individuals, since being created by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2005.