15
counties served
2
states
offices
28
1,938+
participants served each year
69
% first-gen/fin. eligible
Infinite
dreams we help come true......
Serving Rural Appalachia
ABOUT US
Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority (DCEA) was founded in 1965. DCEA is a community action agency serving 30 counties in Tennessee and 2 counties in Eastern Kentucky. The purpose of the agency is to help families living in poverty improve their lives by providing them with assistance and services that they are not able to provide for themselves. The main focus of the agency is to help people help themselves. The agency's mission is to provide resources, tools, and opportunities that help low-incomes families and individuals of all ages achieve personal, economic, and social stability. Current programs located at DCEA include: Upward Bound (2 programs), EOC, Talent Search, Head Start, Early Head Start, LIHEAP, Meals on Wheels, Neighborhood Service Centers, RSVP Senior Corps, Affordable Housing, Hamblen County Workforce and Education Partnership, 21st Century Learning Centers, Lottery for Education Afterschool Programs, and SRAE. For more info about DCEA, click here.
​
TRIO PROGRAMS AT DCEA
There are currently 4 TRIO programs (Appalachian Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC), Appalachian Educational Talent Search, and Appalachian Upward Bound I & II) at DCEA serving 15 counties in East Tennessee and Southeast Kentucky.
​
EOC, at DCEA since 1982, operates in Cocke, Hamblen, Jefferson, Hawkins, Grainger, Claiborne, and Hancock counties. The program serves 1,000 participants per year.
​
Talent Search, at DCEA since 1991, operates in Campbell, Claiborne, Bell, and Harlan counties. The program serves 779 students per year.
Upward Bound I & II, at DCEA since 1995, operate in Hawkins, Grainger, Morgan, and Scott counties. The programs serve 148 students per year.
​
​