Meetings were held in 1990 to discuss he creation of a professional development consortium in the region. KERA required districts to maintain membership in professional development consortia for a minimum of five years. As a result of the progress made through the efforts of EE, its districts decided in1993 to reorganize into an educational cooperative. Every summer since 1993, the cooperative has offered a full range of professional development workshops across the region. Session are generally conducted on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University, the Rural Development Center in Somerset, in Corbin and at school sites where feasible.
All workshops are enrollment-driven and have received positive evaluations from participants.
Consultants have come from public schools, colleges and universities and private entrepreneurial backgrounds. Those offerings are scheduled during the summer and in afternoon session during he fall and spring terms. This Academy provides job-specific training to principals and assistant principals in its member districts. Sessions are designed based upon surveys of the principals to assure that offerings are of interest and use to them. Meetings of the Academy are scheduled on a monthly basis for two hours.