Celebrating the Art of Poetry

The 34th B. G. Raines Education Forum was held in March at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Va. The forum is an annual event held to bring together individuals from Emory & Henry, surrounding schools, businesses, and industry to establish an ongoing dialogue regarding educational needs and opportunities in our region. The speakers included keynote speaker Valerie Ellery (right), an international educational consultant and best-selling author, and Fabiana Parker, 2023 Virginia Teacher of the Year. “For thirty-four years the B. G. Raines Education Forum has brought exemplary educators and leaders from all regions of our nation to Southwest Virginia,” said Dr. Sandra Frederick, Education Department chair. “These guests provide our local educators and community partners with insights into student learning, current educational research, and sound teaching pedagogy that can immediately be taken back into our regional schools to benefit the children of Southwest Virginia.”

In February, the College opened its first on-campus thrift store located on the lower level of the Memorial Chapel. The community celebrated the new E&H Thrift Store with a ribbon cutting, and students in attendance had the opportunity to shop afterward. Provided for Emory & Henry students, the E&H Thrift Store is unlike any other shopping experience. The store does not accept money for the exchange of clothing. Instead, students can choose to “pay” for items in one of four ways: volunteer to work a shift at the store; donate a gently used item; share a social media post about the store; or fill out a quick survey at check out. The store was made possible by the Appalachian Center for Civic Life.