First Lady Crissy Haslam was in Murfreesboro for United Way event

Aug 27, 2015 at 11:41 am by bryan


The United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties recently hosted its After School Network Summit and Teacher Resource Fair, presented by Fifth Third Bank. Over 50 local after school program providers and community resource representatives were in attendance.

The After School Network Summit was designed to provide resources to after school care providers and teachers. First Lady Crissy Haslam kicked off the event by applauding attendees for their dedication to advancing education and discussing education initiatives such as Raise Your Hand TN and the Governor's Books from Birth Foundation. Attendees also heard from curriculum and education specialists from Rutherford County Schools and Murfreesboro City Schools, along with the University of Tennessee College of Social Work, for ways to better align academic methods being used in county and city schools, and inventive ideas on engaging students in learning.

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"The After School Network Summit gives community after school programs an awareness of academic priorities the school districts have for the year", said Dr. Linda Gilbert, Murfreesboro City Schools Director, "and it gives the schools a picture of what organizations in the community are offering after school services to students."

The United Way also hosted its Teacher Resource Fair where over 150 educators visited with nearly 20 community resources and received free school supplies. Teachers who presented a valid teacher ID were able to select from over 1,000 free books and school supplies provided by the United Way, Kohl's and Ingram Content Group.

Don Odom, Rutherford County Schools Director, said, "We can't maintain our level of success without the engagement of all stakeholders -- it truly takes a village -- and so I want to thank everyone who plays a part to encourage our children to achieve more. I applaud the efforts of the after school agencies to reinforce our academic initiatives."

The After School Network Summit and Teacher Resource Fair were sponsored by Fifth Third Bank.

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