THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

Virginia is for lovers – lovers of history, beaches, mountains, wines, food, music, art and culture. From bluegrass to beach music and from Smithfield Ham to Chesapeake Bay blue crab cakes and great wine, Virginia has a range of cultures and traditions providing a delightful hodgepodge of great food, music and art.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is steeped in history. Jamestown was the first English Settlement in the United States, one of the original 13 Colonies. Bordered by five states and the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia has a diverse population that resides in bedroom communities of Washington, DC, to coastal towns and rural communities in the Appalachian Mountains.

VIRGINIA AIR

Virginia Tech joined the AIR family in 2017 and in April of 2018 Virginia AIR hosted a pilot project, AIR:Shift Patrick County, at the Reynolds Homestead, an offsite property of the university, located in rural, Critz, Virginia. Led by AIR Institute Director Beth Flowers and four Patrick County facilitators, the workshop produced three lively community projects: The Patrick County Barn Quilt Trail, The HANDS Trail, and the Rise and Shine Market.

In January of 2019, ten additional facilitators were trained to spread the AIR Institute gospel across the Commonwealth. These facilitators are currently meeting with community leaders to schedule future workshops.

Meanwhile, in February the first cohort of Patrick County Evolve presented their new venture ideas which ranged from a food hearse to a farm-to-table restaurant and brewery. In April, a second AIR:Shift Patrick County workshop was held at the Reynolds Homestead with three new projects emerging: Taking Root Community Garden; YEP! Youth Entrepreneurship Program and the Patrick County Mobile Heritage Unit.

Virginia Tech values the AIR Institute programs as a valuable tool for boosting creative economies. The university is committed to making AIR programs accessible across the Commonwealth.