The Northern Appalachia Cancer Network (NACN) is a community-academic partnership to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based interventions intended to reduce the burden of cancer in Appalachian Pennsylvania and New York. The NACN began in 1992 as a loose network of community coalitions intended to implement local programs for cancer awareness and education. Located in an area characterized by high cancer rates and limited access to health care, the NACN has developed into a foundation for community-based participatory research in cancer prevention and control. The NACN has changed the approach to cancer research and training at Penn State: investigators test new strategies and students hone skills in bringing important cancer-related care to people where they live, work, and receive health care. The NACN, an example of engaged scholarship, is one of the longest-running and most successful community-academic partnerships for cancer prevention and control in the United States. (Contains 2 figures.)