Colonel Lee B. Ledford, a native of Kentucky, was dedicated to providing Appalachian youth with valuable educational opportunities outside the classroom, and, as such, the Ledford Student Research Endowment is offered for the period of May-July 2010 with the hope of encouraging development and research outside of the conventional academic year.
Porterfield (Environmental Studies) and Yancey (Outdoor Education) both have a summer agenda which perfectly reflects the intent of the Ledford Scholarships. This grant provides funding for them to produce a documentary film chronicling Montreat College's American Ecosystems Course.
The documentary will follow a cross-country trip, led by Montreat College professor Dr. Jim Shores, which takes 25 Montreat students to 20 national parks in 27 days. Porterfield and Yancey will examine the positive transformations that happen when people are in community, surrounded by the natural beauty of our national parks.
Porterfield was delighted to be a recipient of the Ledford Scholarship, saying, “I have always loved watching documentaries, and the opportunity to actually make one is a dream come true.
Our work will demonstrate that the natural environment is a great community builder. Without the Ledford Scholarship this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity wouldn't be possible.”
For his part, Yancey expressed sincere thanks as well: “Without the Ledford award, I would not be involved in making the documentary. I’m excited to develop the story; I believe this film can surely bring transformation and inspiration to others. It’s an ideal job for me.”