Heading into its second year of existence, officials with the Christian County Public Schools Education Foundation hosted a full Silo Events Center Tuesday afternoon for its second-ever “Champions For Education” Luncheon.
And to put it plainly, things are going well for students, faculty and administrators alike — thanks to the five pillar industry partners in Ascend Elements, Huhtamaki, J-Tekt Column Systems, Siemer Milling Company and T-RAD North America, as well as scores of legacy, champion, community and anonymous partners currently paving the way for growth and opportunity in, and around, Hopkinsville.
Abby Hess, a music teacher at Freedom Elementary, lauded the recent creation of “Teacher’s Corner” on Blane Drive…a nook full of free classroom implements, where twice-a-year, educators can exchange “points” for donated goods provided through the foundation.
Naturally, she wrote a song about it.
Jessica Grace, a teacher at Crofton Elementary, was a recent winner of the foundation’s “Big Ideas” grant — a process where anyone in the district could write a proposal asking for $500 to bring changes to their classroom and/or office.
Grace put forth a proposal called “Transforming Your Classroom Into An Experience,” and it was something she needed after transitioning from third grade math, and back into the second-grade world.
December, she said, was a blast.
Mandy Guffey, Magistrate Russ at her side, turned emotional — relaying just how much of a beacon the MLK Early Learning Center has been for their young son, Cannon, who over months has worked through limited speech delays and ADHD.
At one point overwhelmed in preschool classroom, Guffey said Cannon needed noise-canceling headphones 70% of the time, or more, in public and educational settings in order to mute his surroundings.
Not anymore.
A senior at Hopkinsville High School and one of several student ambassadors in the district, Mollie Goode is also one of many in Christian County taking advantage of new work-based learning opportunities.
Hers is in local broadcasting media, and it’s this experience that she said is changing her attitudes on life after post-graduation.
In other foundation-related news:
+ Hopkinsville Community College Vice President Dr. Chris Boyett confirmed that beginning the 2025-26 academic year, three new pathways will be available between CCPS and HCC: agriculture, business and education.
This will follow in the veins of Hopkinsville Rotary Impact: Healthcare.
+ Aniyah Lewis, another student board member, confirmed that a new docu-series, called “Sharing Triumphs of Alumni Reaching Success,” or STARS, will highlight post-grad alumni of CCPS on the new CCPS Student Life website. An episode about county music singer/songwriter Brice Long has already been produced.
