Harvard students visit W.Va to learn about Coalfield transition

BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Harvard students a part of the Future of Coal Regions Study Group visited two coal mines in Beckley to learn more about the coal industry and it’s role in West Virginia’s history.

The study group is designed for students at Harvard to learn and share knowledge about the challenges facing coal-producing regions, to identify opportunities for overcoming the challenges, and to foster connections and collaborations between students, faculty, and affiliates.

According to a release from Natalie Tennant, Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics Resident Fellow 2022 and former West Virginia Secretary of State, she learned of this group through students who visited her during her office hours, and she invited them to W.Va.

“Coal has played a critical role in West Virginia’s past. The future of the coal miners and their families is of the utmost importance. That is why visiting with them in their communities was essential and I’m glad the students are making this effort,” said Tennant.

The students arrived Thursday, and they took a tour of the UMWA Career Center where they were able to listen to coal miners and their experiences. Today, they visited the Beckley Exhibit Coal Mine and Tamarack.