There’s something about a story that makes a place feel alive. Not just remembered, but felt. At Maryville College, that feeling is exactly what the new Storytelling Project hopes to capture: moments that might otherwise fade, but instead become part of something lasting. For MC Director of Alumni Affairs Jennifer Triplett, who helped launch the project, the idea began with something simple: listening.
Every community needs a place where people can come together, grow collectively and rely on one another for support. In Alcoa, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center has long served as that kind of space. For many residents, it is more than just a building: it is a place where friendships form, students find guidance and neighbors gather.
Recent renovations to the center are helping expand those opportunities even further. The upgrades have created more space for enrichment programs, community activities and educational support while continuing to provide a welcoming environment for people of all ages.
On a typical morning at Foothills Forest School, the day begins outside. Parents drop their children off at the playground or meet the teacher beneath the open sky at Montvale Springs. A story helps ground the group before they head into the woods, with boots crunching along gravel and dirt paths. From there, the forest becomes the classroom.
“It’s really kind of getting back to the root of childhood and letting kids lead that experience versus everything being adult-led,” said Katie Ballard, director of Foothills Forest School.
Inside the greenhouses at Special Growers, the air smells faintly of basil and damp soil. Rows of herbs stretch toward
McQueen Pottery Makes Space for Art and Community Walking into McQueen Pottery doesn’t feel intimidating. It feels lived-in. Clay dust
The History and Legacy of Amburn’s Market On warm days in Maryville, Amburn’s Market feels less like a stop on
Eating at Miss Olivia’s Table in Maryville felt less like dining out and more like being welcomed into someone’s home,
