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THRIVE Appalachia is creating a teen-led renaissance of craftsmanship, entrepreneurship, and community in the rural mountains of North Carolina. THRIVE helps youth, ages 12-18, explore their gifts and talents, cultivate new skills, and connect with exciting opportunities in high-quality classes and projects with professionals in their field.
THRIVE Appalachia teens are celebrating their third year of providing locally made ice cream to their community right here in Burnsville. To date, teens have made and sold 1,066 gallons of ice cream, and counting! We are delighted to partner with two local businesses:
Carriage House Sundries is a marvelous place to visit for a cone or cup, featuring eight different flavors in their charming, ice cream parlor-like setting. Sit down or take out to enjoy!
You can also stop by Burnsville’s beautiful new health food store, Wild Violet, and pick up a pint to take home!
THRIVE teens love to cook! 2026 is the third year teens have been creating what they call their Kids Cafe events for the community–a teen-run cafe– in which teens plan the menu, cook, serve, and handle the money! This year, under the leadership of Chef Mark Baliff from the NuWray Hotel, teens are learning professional culinary skills each week as they plan each Kids Cafe. On June 2, 2026, teens served over 100 guests at their first Kids Cafe at the NuWray Hotel’s in-house restaurant, “The Old Ray Restaurant”. Save the date for their next Kids Cafe held at the exquisitely restored historic Old Ray Restaurant August 18!
This year THRIVE Appalachia teens are building their own timber-frame carpentry studio built with trees that fell during Hurricane Helene. Under the guidance of Jon Pertee from Equinox Woodworks, Keenan Phillips from KS Phillips Contracting and Eric Cody from Jade Mountain Builders, teens are learning artisanal building techniques while creating their own carpentry studio.
THRIVE Appalachia teens love to create fashion! Under the guidance of Evelyn “L” Robinson and Tina Veitch, teens have earned over $17,000 making and selling their jackets made from local sheep and alpaca wool and women’s clothing made from organic cotton and hand-dyed with natural indigo. This year teens are expanding into a men’s wool jacket, vest and flat cap line–also made from our signature local wool fabric–and making their own metal buttons with jeweler Lucinda Brogden. The only way to purchase our teens' fashion lines is at our September 19th Fashion & Passion event at the Burnsville Town Center, where teens' fashion collections are live-auctioned!
THRIVE Appalachia connects youth with life-changing, apprenticeships, working with master craftspeople and world-class artists.