The AHA Foundation is actively seeking a founding academic university partner in the High Country — to engage across disciplines in practicum placements, applied research, and co-design of the DCSE for Appalachian communities.
The AHA Foundation is rooted in the High Country of Western North Carolina — and we are actively seeking a university partner whose institutional mission aligns with service to Appalachian communities, experiential learning, and training students to serve rural and underserved populations.
Our work spans digital child safety, wilderness therapy, community anti-trafficking programming, and ethical AI — creating genuine, substantive opportunities across social work, psychology, criminal justice, computer science, sociology, and public health.
We are in active outreach to regional universities and welcome conversations with faculty, administrators, and department chairs who see alignment with our mission.
Practicum & field placement site status across Social Work, Psychology, Criminal Justice, Computer Science, Sociology, and Public Health
Applied research on DCSE program efficacy, wilderness therapy outcomes, and trafficking patterns in the High Country
Wilderness Academy and Future-Proofing Academy curriculum co-designed with faculty experts
Target first practicum cohort — Fall 2026, pending partnership formation
The DCSE's breadth creates genuine, substantive opportunities across multiple academic departments — not as token community engagement, but as meaningful, supervised, career-building experience for students in each field. We are actively seeking faculty and department partners across these areas.
Primary practicum site for all DCSE community programs — digital literacy education, family outreach, wilderness therapy facilitation, and youth advocacy cohort supervision. Co-design of AHA Wilderness Academy curriculum and trafficking survivor support model.
Internship placements in DCSE community awareness and anti-trafficking programming. Applied research on trafficking patterns in the High Country, digital literacy intervention efficacy, and community resilience frameworks.
Internship and practicum placements with Sentinel Guard™ and Adams Watch™ community deployments and law enforcement liaison roles. Policy research on digital child safety legislation, trafficking prosecution, and rural justice systems.
PsyD and Clinical Mental Health Counseling practicum placements in AHA Wilderness Academy and survivor support programs. Research on trauma-informed care frameworks, wilderness therapy outcomes, and youth digital safety anxiety.
Capstone project partnerships on DCSE technology components and Future-Proofing Academy instructor roles. AI ethics research, privacy-preserving detection technology, and digital literacy tool development for rural communities.
Practicum placements in digital literacy and trafficking prevention programs. Research framing online exploitation as a community health issue, designing prevention interventions, and evaluating program impact.
"The AHA Foundation's mission is to protect Appalachian children and heal survivors. We are seeking a university partner whose mission is to serve Appalachian communities. That alignment is the foundation of something meaningful."— AHA Foundation, Partnership Vision
Introductory meetings with department chairs and faculty across Social Work, Sociology, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Computer Science, and Public Health.
Work with the Office of Field Education and equivalent offices to secure approved practicum and placement site status.
Draft a multi-department MOU framework and engage the university's Office of Research for grant co-application opportunities.
Identify faculty champions in each discipline for research collaboration, curriculum co-design, and student mentorship.
Collaborate with Social Work, Psychology, and Computer Science faculty to build the AHA Wilderness Academy and Future-Proofing Academy curricula.
First practicum cohort placed, first Wilderness Academy sessions delivered, first research partnerships active.
We'd love to start a conversation. Reach out directly to Melissa Ehlers to learn more about the partnership opportunity and how your department might engage.
Get In Touch →