Over the past couple of months, several AP Junior English classes at Dunbar have been putting together their Real World projects, assigned by English teachers Ms. Amanda Holt and Mrs. Colleen Burns. The class studies argument and its strategies.

“We created the project in order for students to translate their skills of rhetoric to a real word situation,” said Ms. Holt.

Students were to take what they believed to be an issue in either their local community or statewide and then research solutions that were to be presented to an audience who could make a change. One group from Ms. Holt’s B3 AP class, led by Junior Carlie Fugate, was focusing on finding solutions for impoverished cities in Kentucky.

In order to complete their assignment, the group contacted Carol Kincaid, president of the Beattyville Chamber of Commerce, and on March 20 they were able to present their solution to the Beattyville Chamber of Commerce.

Beattyville is one the poorest towns in Kentucky, which is what led Fugate to reach out to Kincaid.

“We came up with the idea of making it a trail town,” said Fugate, “so it would help their economy.”

A Trail Town is a community through which the North Country Trail passes that supports hikers with services, promotes the Trail to its citizens and embraces the Trail as a resource to be protected and celebrated, according to the North Country Trial Association.

The group of six students emphasized making the presentation professional and convincing in order for the Chamber to consider their solution to the community’s economic struggles.

Shuck Cardell, the general manager of Beta Bullener prize, said of the Juniors, “They had made a bunch of old people who have been fighting this battle for decades stop and think and start arguing and discussing right in front of them so by any measure, this was a successful presentation.”