Ohio University Southern

will host an upcoming conference of approximately 250 educators who are committed to increasing the college-going rate for Ohio Appalachia and the Appalachian region.

The event will be on campus Oct. 7 to 9.

The Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education and West Virginia Access Center for Higher Education have a mission to increase the college-going rate in their respective states.

OACHE is a consortium of ten higher education institutions, including Ohio University, within the 29-county Ohio Appalachian region that are committed to increasing participation in college - any college.

"The success of OACHE in addressing low educational attainment has been amazing." OUS Dean Dan Evans said. "I have closely followed the work of Wayne White since OACHE began offering grants to K-12 schools in 1993.

I don't believe any of us envisioned the positive impact of the consortium."

The partner schools have produced such success that in 2001 OACHE was named the number one state public service program in the country.