Girl Scout creates cake kits to provide ready-made celebrations for MANNA FoodBank. And that’s when she’s not acting, playing saxophone or learning French.
Kids stuff: Build early literary skills
Jacquelyn Hall, co-executive director of Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe discusses the importance of reading to children from a young age and the how everyone in the community can play a role in promoting literacy.
Kids stuff: The beauty of mistakes
Amy Chambers, art teacher at Glen Arden Elementary, discusses the benefits of the arts and the dedication teachers bring to the profession.
Kids stuff: The power of music in the digital age
Lyndsay Pruett, member of the Jon Stickley Trio and a teacher at Academy for the Arts, discusses the surprises that come with teaching kids to play the fiddle.
Kids stuff: The importance of silent reflection and observation
Chehala Andriananjason, WNC program manager at Muddy Sneakers, discusses the benefits of small group learning, taking in the natural world and the best places to hike.
Signing off: Local teens ghost social media
Area teens choose their mental health, jobs and hobbies over participating on social media.
Kids stuff: The integration of many disciplines
Sara Sanders, director of STEAM Studio, discusses the benefits and misconceptions about STEAM programs.
Kids stuff: The impact of social media on today’s youth
Jocelin Rosas, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County community school coordinator at Erwin Middle School, discusses student resiliency, social media and the importance of mentorships.
Kids stuff: The perks of native wildlife education
Jordan Rutherford, the guest services coordinator at the WNC Nature Center, share his thoughts on the benefits of outdoor education and the center’s most popular exhibits for kids.
Kids stuff: Peer-to-peer mentoring
Jasmine Middleton, head of sustainability at OpenDoors Asheville, discusses the launch of AVL Rise, the compassion that tutors bring to their work and the importance of exposing young children to role models that look like them.
Kids stuff: Positive food experiences
Debbi Timson, Growing Minds Program Coordinator at ASAP, discusses healthy eating habits, local foods and the positive results that come when families cook together.
Kids stuff: Fostering curiosity
Millad Nooraei, YWCA Director of Early Childhood Education, discusses his organization’s history, the challenges it faces and ways parents can be involved in their child’s development.
Kids stuff: Respect the youths
Ellen Bowditch, a retired elementary school teacher and volunteer tutor with Literacy Together, discusses her work with the local nonprofit, the importance of community involvement and the need to show care and respect to our area’s youth.
Q&A: Nesbitt Academy senior named county’s Distinguished Young Woman
High school senior talks about dance, how she avoids burnout, and the experience of performing in the Distinguished Young Women program. (Public speaking is hard.)
Tips for cultivating early readers
Reversing a decline in reading levels requires multi-pronged approach from parents, libraries and schools.
Kids stuff: Buy-in and trust
David Bird, a language arts and Spanish teacher at The Learning Community School, discusses the challenges middle school students face, the patience that goes into teaching and misconceptions teachers deal with.
‘Smart bus’ system coming to Buncombe County Schools
The new technology will include GPS tracking of school buses, onboard cameras and an accompanying parent app.
Q&A: Region’s top principal discusses her life’s devotion to education
“Everyone works together to make sure our students are educated, that their emotional needs are taken care of,” says Ruafika Cobb, principal of Ira B. Jones Elementary School. “People here just do it.”
Home-based child care may help with Buncombe needs
One potential way to close the child care gap, according to a recent report commissioned by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, would be to boost the number of home-based care providers. In Buncombe County, those facilities have decreased from 48 in 2006 to only 11 in 2022.
Green in brief: Duke Energy completes Hot Springs microgrid
The microgrid includes 2 megawatts of solar panel capacity and 4.4 MW of battery storage. Those resources are enough to power the entire town for an extended period if its connection to the main grid is disrupted.
AVL school board selects firm to lead superintendent search
Summit Search Solutions described itself in its proposal as a “boutique” search firm that specializes in education.