KEC Hosting Summer Spanish Camp!

DATE: May 1, 2024

ELKINS--The Kump Education Center will again host an exciting, week-long summer Spanish language camp that will provide fun and educational opportunities for area youth. The Around the World-themed camp is designed for children ages 5-10 and will transport participants to different Spanish-speaking countries.

Spanish Camp is set for July 15-19, from 8:30-3:30 daily, and is directed by Leah Devine. This is her second year leading this popular summer camp at the KEC.

Devine currently teaches Spanish at Elkins High School. Her 18 years of Spanish teaching experience include middle and high school and Spanish summer camps, ranging from lower elementary at The Arts Center to weeklong Spanish Immersion camps for high schoolers. She also directed a Spanish camp for elementary and middle school-age youth in coordination with Mountain Laurel Learning Cooperative (MLLC) in Tucker County.

“We will travel around the world and visit one or more countries each day. We’ll explore arts and culture, and, for lunches, the campers will prepare traditional foods of that country,” said Devine. Participants will also listen to music and create art inspired by the countries. 

“Spanish Camp will also pique young campers’ interest in Spanish through immersive play,” she added. Repetition of vocabulary will help the students comprehend and communicate in Spanish while playing games, preparing and sampling foods, and making art in Spanish. 

“I look forward to creating a fun and exciting experience with a second language. I am excited to welcome new and returning campers. No prior knowledge of Spanish is needed, just an excitement for learning through cooking, art, and play,” said Devine.

Spanish Camp will take place at the Gov. Kump House in Elkins. Enrollment is limited to sixteen, so registration before June 15 is suggested. Tuition for the week-long camp is $300, which includes lunch and snacks.

Click here for registration materials and more information or email kumpec@gmail.com.

Kump Education Center to Host Final Woodlands Heritage Lecture

Date: April 11, 2024

Contact: Nanci Bross-Fregonara, Communications Director, Kump Education Center

kumpec@gmail.com

ELKINS-The Kump Education Center, Elkins, is hosting the final Woodlands Heritage Lecture, “From Coal Mine to Forest: The Mower Tract Revival,” on Wednesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. with Kris Hennig, U.S. Forest Service Partnership Coordinator, in the historic Kump House lower level. This lecture is part of a series of monthly lectures supported by a grant from the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area. It complements the current Wild, Wonderful Woods interpretive display at the Kump House.

Hennig will discuss the history, natural community, and restoration of Randolph County’s Mower Tract, a 40,000-acre area located within the Monongahela National Forest.

“An extensive partnership supported restoration effort, over 15 years in the making, is transforming this formerly mined and heavily impacted landscape into an area of recreational and ecological significance,” Hennig said. Since its inception, the Mower Tract restoration effort has planted over 800,000 native plants and constructed thousands of wetlands on nearly 1,500 acres of mined lands. These activities are restoring the mature red spruce ecosystem that these lands historically hosted back upon the landscape; to the benefit of wildlife, aquatic and forest health, and the public.

“In the early 2000’s, the U.S. Forest Service was a founding member in the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative (CASRI), a group that has grown to include 20+ partnering agencies and organizations. These restoration efforts started small, but collaborations within CASRI has helped grow and evolve our restoration practices to maximize the success and ecological outcomes of these efforts”. he said. “The Mower Tract is a great example of what can happen when land management, partnerships, research, and volunteerism come together,” he said.

The Woodlands Heritage Lecture Series focuses on the value of the Appalachian Highlands forests, from the centuries-old bison trails to how they affect current and future West Virginia preservation, recreation, and economic initiatives.

The lectures are free and open to the public. Attendees will also be able to explore the historic Kump House and the Wild, Wonderful Woods exhibits. The Kump House is located at 401 Randolph Ave., Elkins (across from Kroger), with parking access in the rear accessible by Seneca Road.

For more information about the KEC, visit kumpeducationcenter.org, the Kump Education Center FB page, or email kumpec@gmail.com. The AFNHA grants were made possible by National Heritage Area funding through the National Park Service.

CUTLINE:

The final Woodlands Heritage Lecture on Wednesday, April 17, 7 p.m. at the Kump Education Center will feature Kris Henning, U.S. Forest Service Partnership Coordinator speaking on “From Coal Mine to Forest: The Mower Tract Revival.” The lecture is free and open to the public.

Kump Education Center to Host Third Woodlands Heritage Lecture

Date: March 9, 2024

Contact: Nanci Bross-Fregonara, Communications Director, Kump Education Center

kumpec@gmail.com

ELKINS-The Kump Education Center, Elkins, is hosting the third Woodlands Heritage Lecture “Nature and the Economy in Appalachia” Wednesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. with Eriks Brolis, Director of Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of WV in the historic Kump House. This lecture is part of a series of monthly lectures supported by a grant from the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area and complements the current Wild, Wonderful Woods interpretive display at the Kump House.

Brolis will discuss the importance of nature-based economic development and TNC’s climate mitigation efforts in West Virginia.

“Nature is one of West Virginia’s greatest assets,” he said. “Our forests and rivers provide drinking water, clean air and outdoor adventures to millions of people in the eastern United States, and these incredible natural resources can contribute to securing a stable and diversified economic future for the Mountain State.”

He further noted: “We can sustain the extensive forests and rivers, and the services they provide to people, in ways that support the creation of much-needed, well-paying jobs. These revenue streams support state and local budgets, providing even basic municipal services. We can also expand opportunities for nature-based recreation for residents and tourists alike seeking rejuvenation in the great outdoors.”

The Woodlands Heritage Lecture Series focuses on the importance of the Appalachian Highlands forests, from the centuries-old bison trails to how it affects current and future West Virginia preservation and economic initiatives.

The final lecture in the series will be “From Coal Mine to Forest: The Mower Tract Revival” Wednesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. with Kris Hennig, Partnership Coordinator, U.S. Forest Service.

The lectures are free and open to the public. Attendees will also be able to explore the historic Kump House and the Wild, Wonderful Woods exhibits. The Kump House is located at 401 Randolph Ave., Elkins (across from Kroger) with parking access in the rear accessible by Seneca Road.

For more information about the KEC, visit kumpeducationcenter.org, the Kump Education Center FB page or email kumpec@gmail.com. The AFNHA grants were made possible by National Heritage Area funding through the National Park Service.