Created to educate the people about the Appalachian areas and the environment, the Pine Mountain Settlement School in Harlan County, Kentucky was established in 1913 by founders Katherine Pettit and Ethel DeLong Zande. The 700-acre site was a donation of the wealthy philanthropist William Creech, Sr., to express his desire to help the people grow better.

Upon its inception in 1913, the Pine Mountain Settlement School served as a boarding school for elementary and middle school kids. After a while, it became a boarding school for high school students, and taught pupils vocational skills, and developed them artistically while still not neglecting academics.

From the 1970s, it has already focused its efforts on environmental education. The Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority adopted the school as its national philanthropy in 1945 and has raised money for it yearly since then.