Foothills Kids Magazine, a non-profit organization that provides free local educational content to western North Carolina schools, announces a service area expansion to Burke County Public Schools as well as the upcoming third issue theme: outdoor recreation and hiking trails in North Carolina. The issue will be provided, in print, to students in grades 3-5 in all public school districts of Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba Counties.

Previously given as a supplement to Foothills Digest, Foothills Kids became a tax-exempt operation in 2020 to grow its footprint to provide community content for students. Foothills Kids has been received by Alexander County, Caldwell County and Catawba County schools—and thanks to sponsorships from businesses—will now expand to Burke County schools.

Featured in the upcoming forty-seven-page spring issue will be content about NC outdoor recreation in science, social studies, and arts topics. There will be activities for families to learn together about the content. The material will be aligned with NC Standards curriculum and tailored to an elementary reading level.

Says publisher Carmen Eckard, “We are thrilled to now serve the fourth county in the Unifour metro area, Burke. Thousands of students from Hildebran to Glen Alpine will read and enjoy this magical content that highlights our communities. We thank outgoing director, Aaron Kohrs, for his commitment to seeing Burke County—a community he holds fondly in his heart—served by this educational enrichment!”

The spring issue is funded entirely by local business and individual donors, including Modern Nissan of Hickory, Cargo Transporters, Sabrina Cook CPA, Mike Johnson’s Hickory Toyota, Pepsi Bottling Company, Diamond Pointe Financial, Carpenter, Carolina Tape & Supply, Camfil, Roseann Flowers/Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate—Foothills, Kiwanis Club of Hickory, Hickory Rotary Club (Lake Hickory Country Club), Truist, Automated Solutions, and Paw Tales.

Foothills Kids’ mission is to “enrich and promote the educational development of children and instill pride in the communities of western North Carolina.”

[News release courtesy of Aaron Kohrs, Foothills Kids Magazine Director]