Green Bank and the local community
A healthy workforce requires a healthy community in which to live and work. With this in mind, the Observatory strives to be an active member of the local community, providing expertise and aid in many areas.
The Green Bank site has tight links to the local community, the region and the State. In addition to the mentorship experiences offered to local secondary school students, the site staff has significant outreach into the community. Staff members often teach STEM classes in the locals schools, mentor science and math students, serve as science fair mentors and judges to the county and are on county and state educational committees and boards. Site facilities are used for community meetings and by organizations such as the Boy Scouts and National Forest Service, and are a vital part of the county emergency services plan.
Below is a partial list of the various community activities in which our staff actively participate, broken into three main categories – Emergency Services, Schools, Local and community Organizations.
Emergency Services
Staff are members of the local emergency services crews, serving in the following capacities:
- Deputy Fire Chief
- Treasure
- EMTs
- Firefighters
- Ambulance Drivers
- County Search and Rescue
- Local Emergency Planning Board members
- Amateur Radio Emergency Services – Pocahontas County
- Amateur Radio Civil Emergency Services
Schools
Support for the local school system comes two ways – through programs which are hosted by the observatory as well as through local staff participation in school activities and planning. A few of the ways staff help the local schools include
- School Board Members
- Business Partner Scholarships
- Annual donation to the PCHS Science Scholarship
- Organizer and host of primary fundraiser for the William Dilley Track Scholarship
- Serving on school and school board committees
- Levy Committee
- School Calendar committee
- 10 year planning committee
- 5 year strategic planning committee
- Superintendent’s Advisory Committee
- Local School Improvement Council (GBEMS, PCHS)
- Title IV Committee (GBEMS)
- Providing tutoring for local students as part of their in-school lessons
- Annual support and volunteers:
- GBEMS and PCHS Career Days
- Read Aloud
- Literacy Fair judges
- Socials Studies Far Judges
- Science Fair help and mentoring
- Math Tutors
- School Treasurer (MMS)
- Math Field Day
- County Math Field day is hosted at the Observatory
- GBEMS tutors
- Pocahontas County Science Fair
- Pocahontas County Science Fair is run and hosted by the Observatory
- Mentoring for all county science fair participants
- Hour of Code
- Annual hour of code with PCHS is run by the Observatory
- Science Bowl
- Judges, moderator, scorekeeper for RESA IV bowl
- Robotics
- Coaches for the local First Lego League Robotics Team
- Co-teach the high school robotics course
- Computer Science
- Co-teach PCHS computer science class
- Internships available for community students annually
- Participate in all county Career days
- High School Athletics
- Observatory staff have been coaches and assistant coaches in the past for the high school soccer, basketball, and baseball teams
- Timekeeper/Scorekeeper for PCHS athletics
- Radio Announcer for PCHS athletics
Community Organizations
Observatory staff serve on a wide variety of community organizations and boards. These include:
- Pocahontas Dramas, Fairs and Festivals Board
- Pocahontas County Opera House Foundation
- Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Pocahontas County Chamber of Commerce
- First Citizens Bank Board of Directors
- Pocahontas County Parks and Recreation
- Pocahontas County Prevention Coalition
- Pocahontas County Democratic Exec. Comm.
- Northern Pocahontas Community Wellness Board
- Elkins YMCA Board of Directors
- 4-H Foundation
- Allegheny Mountain Radio
- 8 Rivers Amateur Radio Club
- National Weather Service, Cooperative Observer
- Air Weather Association
- Boy Scouts Scoutmaster, volunteers
- Pocahontas County Youth Soccer – coaches, board members, schedulers, referees
- Pocahontas County Youth Baseball League, volunteers
- Adopt-A-Highway Program, volunteer
- ExploreWV Geocaching, volunteer
- Dunmore Community Center, volunteer
- Pocahontas County Drama Workshop
- Elkins Pilots Club
- Durbin 5K Run
- Seneca Woodlands Women’s Club
- Durbin Lions Club
What about Internet and WiFi?
While living in Green Bank has distinct advantages, a common question is “how do you manage to live there without cell phones, Internet, or WiFi?” The short answer is, we have Internet and telephones, and while cellular service is limited, it is not “non-existent”. Even without a WiFi, there are ways you can stay connected to the modern world – if you really want to.
You can learn more about it here.