Do you have a genuine enthusiasm for your community, wanting others to be able to experience life in your town? Do you think that if people were to have a chance to test out living in your community they might choose to relocate there long-term?

The Wilds Are Working: A Remote Lifestyle Experience seeks to raise awareness about the PA Wilds being a great place for remote and non-remote workers to live, work, and play.

Two communities will be selected to host remote workers for the summer of 2024. The selected communities will each get to host up to five remote workers to spend four weeks in the region, with lodging covered and a stipend provided. The stipend is provided through a PA Wilds Digital Gift Card, which ensures monies are spent with local organizations and businesses in the region.

An initiative of the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship (PA Wilds Center), in collaboration with several partners and funded by Ben Franklin Technology Partners through the Appalachian Regional Commission, the campaign was piloted in the communities of Bellefonte and Kane in 2022. In 2023, the communities of Emporium and Warren were selected through a competitive application process.

A webinar was held on November 8, 2023, to explain the program and answer questions from interested communities. A recording of the webinar can be viewed here.

Want to hear from some previous participants of the program? Check out the remote worker video playlist here.

The 2024 program application is now open for prospective host communities. Apply here by 5 p.m. on December 15.

 

Your community could host workers and be a part of the Wilds Are Working campaign!

Communities within the Pennsylvania Wilds, covering a 13-county region of Northern Pennsylvania, may be eligible to host remote workers through this program. The following are requirements to be considered:

• Suitable accommodations for long-term workers, that include full kitchens, Wi-Fi, and ample living space. These can include local vacation rentals and bed & breakfast properties.
• Community access to high-speed internet, both in residential and public areas (like coffee shops or coworking spaces).
• Mobile phone coverage for a variety of carriers.
• Ample opportunities for recreation, events, and activities within a reasonable proximity.
• Staff or volunteers able to dedicate time to project management, including program set up time (using a guided toolkit), application management, and more.
• A group of friendly and knowledgeable volunteers ready to host workers and help them make the most of their experience.

 

Get details at www.PAWildsCenter.org/wilds-are-working.

Interested in applying to be a host community? Applications are due by 5 p.m. on December 15.

 

ABOUT THE PA WILDS

The Pennsylvania Wilds is a 13-county region that includes the counties of Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Warren, and northern Centre. The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to integrate conservation and economic development in a way that inspires the communities of the Pennsylvania Wilds. The PA Wilds Center promotes the region and its 2+ million acres of public lands as a premier outdoor recreation destination as a way to diversify local economies, inspire stewardship, attract investment, retain population and improve quality of life. The PA Wilds Center’s core programs seek to help businesses leverage the PA Wilds brand and connect with new market opportunities, including: the Wilds Cooperative of PA, a network of more than 575 place-based businesses and organizations, and the PA Wilds Conservation Shop, a retail outlet primarily featuring products sourced from the WCO. For more information on the PA Wilds Center, visit www.PAWildsCenter.org. To learn more about the WCO, visit www.WildsCoPA.org. Explore the PA Wilds at www.PAWilds.com. Find regionally made products at www.ShopThePAWilds.com. 

 

Media Contact

Britt Madera | Communications Manager

PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc.

[email protected] | 570-948-1051