Foxfire Fund Inc

FOXFIRE'S MISSION IS TO PRESERVE THE DIVERSE TRADITIONS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIA AND ADVANCE THE UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH PUBIC PROGRAMS, PUBLICATIONS, AND LEARNER-CENTERED EDUCATION.

FOXFIRE OPERATES AN OUTDOOR APPALACHIAN VILLAGE MUSEUM FEATURING OVER TWENTY HISTORIC LOG STRUCTURES AND ARTIFACTS REPRESENTATIVE OF LIFE IN THE MOUNTAINS. DUE TO COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS AND LEGAL RESTRICTIONS, SEVERAL PROGRAMS, SUCH AS CLASSES, AND IN-PERSON TOURS CONTINUED TO BE RESTRICTED DURING 2021. MUSEUM ATTENDANCE GREW BY MORE THAN 70% AND WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE 2019 ATTENDANCE. ALMOST 9600 VISITORS TOURED THE MUSEUM AND FOXFIRE'S ANNUAL OUTDOOR FESTIVAL. ARTISANS AND CRAFTERS PROVIDED LIVE ONSITE DEMONSTRATIONS OF APPALACHIAN CRAFTS AND SKILLS AND THE STUDENT SUMMER PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTED APPALACHIAN MUSIC, STORY TELLING, COOKING, FORAGING AND MORE. THE MUSEUM'S ARCHIVES INCLUDE A SIGNIFICANT ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION, ARTIFACTS AND RELATED DOCUMENTS WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR ACADEMIC AND STAFF RESEARCH. THE MUSEUM STORE FEATURES THE WORKS OF APPALACHIAN ARTISANS AND CRAFTERS AS WELL AS THE FOXFIRE BOOKS WHICH PRESERVE AND CELEBRATE APPALACHIAN CULTURE. DURING 2021, FOXFIRE CONTINUED RENOVATION OF SEVERAL ONSITE APPALACHIAN STRUCTURES. WORKING WITH THE MUSEUM OF THE CHEROKEE, FOXFIRE WORKED WITH RESTORATION OF THE ONLY KNOWN SURVIVING WAGON USED DURING THE CHEROKEE REMOVAL AND CREATION OF A PERMANENT EXHIBIT AT THE MUSEUM.

FROM ITS INCEPTION IN 1966, THE FOXFIRE PROGRAM HAS FOCUSED ON INNOVATIVE LEARNER-CENTERED EDUCATION TO DEVELOP RESEARCH, INTERVIEW, AND WRITING SKILLS. THE FOXFIRE JUNIOR FELLOW PROGRAM CONTINUED THAT TRADITION WITH TWELVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM RABUN COUNTY, GEORGIA SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE 2021 SUMMER PROGRAM. FOXFIRE FELLOWS BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION OF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. DURING 2021, FOXFIRE FUNDED $27,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORGANIZATION. ONGOING PROMOTION OF FOXFIRE PROGRAMS AT AREA HIGH SCHOOLS - BUILDING ON THE FOXFIRE EDUCATION TEAM'S PRIOR WORK AND MAKING NEW CONNECTIONS IN EDUCATION - GENERATED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN INTEREST AMONG STUDENTS AND TEACHERS DURING 2021. VIRTUAL TOURS WERE DEVELOPED AND PROVIDED TO MULTIPLE SCHOOL GROUPS FROM VARIOUS STATES. WORKING WITH FORWARD RABUN TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM, FOXFIRE INSTALLED AN EXHIBIT IN THE RABUN COUNTY WELCOME CENTER AS PART OF ITS COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM.

FOXFIRE'S LONG HISTORY OF BOOK AND MAGAZINE PUBLICATIONS CONTINUED TO RECEIVE HEIGHTENED INTEREST FROM MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC DURING 2021, GENERATING SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN BOOK SALES AND OTHER FOXFIRE MATERIALS. THE MUSEUM STORE'S REVENUES GREW BY 38% WHILE ROYALTIES FROM SALES OF APPALACHIAN FOCUSED BOOKS GREW BY MORE THAN 25%. THE STAFF EXPANDED FOXFIRE'S MARKETING AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH STRATEGIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE SUMMER PROGRAM FOCUSED ON RESEARCH, WRITING AND PRODUCTION OF THE QUARTERLY FOXFIRE MAGAZINE WHILE MUSEUM STAFF CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON EDITING A BOOK ABOUT THE WOMEN OF APPALACHIA.