KEC Offers After-School Math Enrichment Program

February 1, 2023

ELKINS- The Kump Education Center (KEC) is currently offering a unique math enrichment program called "Math Magic." The free after-school program is designed for fourth and fifth-grade elementary students from Third Ward, North, and Jennings Randolph elementary schools.

The KEC worked with Randolph County Board of Education Math Coordinator Tammy Tucker in creating a curriculum based on materials from Stanford University called "Youcubed." These materials stimulate a student's mind to use spatial reasoning to develop strategies rather than memorization.

The second program methodology uses "Number Talks." In this approach, teachers listen to various ways students think about solving a problem and encourage them to find the best way to reason through the process.

According to KEC Director Dr. Heather Biola, Davis & Elkins College students affiliated with the college’s Teacher Education Program and Career Service Center are serving as math mentors. Citizens Bank of West Virginia provided staff funding for the mentors, and Davis Trust Company offered additional funding for mobile whiteboards. The use of whiteboards encourages students to stand up and try various solutions to math problems.

"We thank everyone in the Elkins community who has helped us create an active learning center at the historic Kump house," said Dr. Biola. "Without their wonderful support, the Kump Education Center could not do the vital work of providing innovative instruction and research results. Progress in education comes from this thoughtful work, and our community will benefit."

Davis and Elkins College student Dezmon Johnson assists a participant in the Kump Education Center's Math Magic after-school program. The ten-week math enrichment program is designed for fourth and fifth graders from several local elementary schools.

Kump House Host Forest Festival Royalty

OCTOBER 4, 2022

The Kump Education Center/Gov. Kump House was honored to be visited by Maid Sylvia and her court on Sunday as the Forest Festival festivities began! The visit included seeing all the memorabilia from the Kump family treasures, the learning lab, the interpretive displays and the grounds. It was fitting to have the Forest Festival dignitaries and royalty visit the home of a family who had so many ties to this annual celebration of the area's forest heritage.

Summer Tour Hours Announced For Gov. Kump House

JULY 5, 2022

ELKINS – The Kump Education Center will be offering summertime public tours of the Gov. Kump House in Elkins beginning Thursday, July 7. The free tour hours are Thursday and Sunday afternoons from 3-5:30 p.m. through Sunday, August 7.

The public tour hours provide visitors the opportunity to see vintage family wedding gowns, memorabilia, and new interpretive displays. The displays focus not only on family weddings but also on the historical significance of the site and the legacy of Gov. Kump, one of the most influential governors of the state.

Admission to the event is free, but donations are highly encouraged. Parking is available behind the Kump House, located on Randolph Ave., Elkins, across from Kroger’s. Parking can also be accessed from Seneca Road.

The new interpretive displays are partially funded by a West Virginia Humanities Council mini-grant. The WV Humanities Council is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and serves West Virginia through grants and direct programs in the humanities.

For more information about the West Virginia Humanities Council grants program, contact Humanities Council grants administrator Erin Riebe at (304) 346-8500 or via email at riebe@wvhumanities.org. Grant guidelines and applications are available on the Humanities Council website, www.wvhumanities.org.

PHOTO CUTLINE:

KEC volunteer Jane Lawson assisted with the recently held Open House at the historic Gov. Kump House. Visitors can also view the home Thursday and Sunday afternoons, July 7-August 7, from 3-5:30 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged.