PINEVILLE — Kindergarten students in the Bell County School District will be getting some help in major content areas with a large grant awarded this week. The Bell County Board of Education received $74,021 from the Elgin Foundation located in Knoxville, Tenn., for the purchase and implementation of Waterford and KinderCorner programs to benefit kindergarten children. Both programs have designed strategies and action steps based on program development and curriculum and are aligned with Kentucky State Standards in math, science and reading.

“We embrace this project as an essential education strategy and recognize that all kindergarten students should be afforded the opportunity to be successful in math, science and reading,” said George Thompson, Superintendent of the Bell County School District. “Funding will allow us to provide more intense and viable tools of learning while taking the guesswork out of curriculum design, so that teachers are teaching the specific needs of the students. Education is not about guesswork or shooting in the dark. It’s about expanding the use of proven solutions in the classrooms and schools!”

Grant Writer for the Bell County School District Gina Johnson said that both the KinderCorner and Waterford program designs align with state standards and a coordinated educational model.

“Capacity building will include implementing proven strategies for effectual early learning, improving the learning climate through staff development and building a more effective and sustainable infrastructure. Both scientific and computer based programs focus on student learning moving toward mastery which will improve levels of learning for our students. Studies show that both KinderCorner and Waterford programs are effective in providing a solid foundation in reading, science and math skills that foster a lifetime of learning,” said Johnson.

Formerly the B. R. Thompson Charitable Trust, the Elgin Foundation’s focus is on the dental, medical and educational needs of rural Appalachian children in eastern Tennessee, Kentucky and western Virginia. The late B.R. Thompson Sr., established the original trust in order to serve the communities where his coal mining operations were located several years ago.

Johnson said that ultimately the grant will help student’s in their lives.

“Our goal is to enhance the district’s capacity to improve the knowledge and skills of our students and create rigorous schools of learning to promote students success throughout life,” said Johnson.

Stephen Woodward is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He may be contacted at swoodward@middlesborodailynews.com.