The Highland Educational Project

For more than 70 years, The Highland Educational Project (HEP) has been engaged in mission and ministry in McDowell County. Once a bustling county at the height of the coal boom, today McDowell County is among the poorest counties in the United States. HEP, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, seeks to support residents of McDowell County by nurturing relationships built on mutual learning. HEP is a community hub, offering a place for community groups to gather, providing a home base for service groups, and organizing activities to promote health and learning in McDowell County.