On behalf of Kump Education Center I wish to thank the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce for its gracious recognition of non-profit work by Kump Education Center. KEC would not be here without the property given by the Kump family, but the progress we have made over for the last 15 years would not have been possible without the collaboration and support of our local community.

First we want to thank the City of Elkins for agreeing to accept the bequest of the Kump house and small trust fund from Miss Kump. We understand the significance of this unique commitment to public education that the City of Elkins has made.

Next we need to thank the State Historic Preservation Office for six building grants and the first planning grant when Mills Group helped us establish our original KEC purpose: “to preserve the Kump House as a center for educators to improve and support the success of all West Virginia students for the twenty-first century.” Later the KEC Board focused on our mission: “to promote student achievement and enhance teacher excellence.”

We owe thanks to Davis & Elkins College and Randolph County Public Schools, for collaboration with KEC on two innovative early initiatives. In 2010 we received a public school grant to create Professional Development Schools that D&E still operates with future teachers. In 2011, I presented a college consortium concept for teacher education at the Teacher Education Accreditation Council meeting in San Diego, California, and three local colleges helped start the Kump Education Research Seminar. After COVID-19, only D&E students participated in the 13th annual seminar April 26, but the Kump Consortium idea still holds promise for future regional higher education and vocational training.

Over the last 15 years, Kump Center has benefitted greatly from local AmeriCorps member services in preservation, education, and conservation. From 2015 through 2020, WV Education Alliance provided AmeriCorps mentors in our “STREAM” program to help local, at-risk students in grades 4-8, and Elkins Fordland supported this program.

A big thank you goes to Optimum for our Learning Lab which includes ten computers, five tables, a printer, and a projector as well as free internet service. The computer lab has helped with Elkins High School Debate Team competitions, 2020 Census training, Elkins Police testing and many Zoom organizational meetings held in the lab.

We owe much gratitude to our local banks. Citizens Bank of West Virginia contributed funds to help pay personnel for Tech Link Tutoring, Targeted Tutoring, and Math Magic programs since the pandemic started. Davis Trust Company gave funding for the white boards used for Math Magic. Mountain Valley Bank has made generous contributions every year for the benefit of teacher enhancement programs like National Board Certification, Dyscalculia Intervention Training, as well as student tutoring programs.

We greatly appreciate opportunities to serve children in collaboration with other organizations: YMCA Day Campers Summer Science, RCPS SOLE summer elementary school and the middle school Project Isaac. RCPS has also provided buses for Targeted Tutoring, and Math Magic. Thanks to the Elkins Tree Board, we have a City Tree Nursery & Apple Orchard with classes on tree pruning. Thanks to local beekeepers we have folks who can teach how to care for beehives.

This week we are delighted to thank the WV Humanities Council for providing a grant to support “Wild Wonderful Woods,” our event celebrating the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, which is set to take place Saturday, June 24 at Kump Education Center.

Thank you to all our friends who have made contributions each Christmas and special donations to pay for apples on our Apple for the Teacher Tree to honor teachers who made a difference in the lives of students.

In Elkins education is everybody’s business.