Calling all families! If you visit the Museum with children and/or participate in the Museum’s family programs (or might in the future!), we want to hear from you. As we transition family programs to virtual or small-group in-person formats, we need your feedback to create a model that will work for you this fall. We’re giving away a FREE guest pass to one of the first 50 people to fill out the survey.

We invite you to join us for the fourteenth annual Come to Leicester studio tour. We are excited to celebrate this annual event. The Come to Leicester studio tour is held every year on the third weekend in August; for 2019, that is 17-18 August. Our community of artists create in a variety of mediums, including painting, iron work, wood work, textiles, pottery, jewelry, and brooms.  They welcome you to their open studios so that you can enjoy their talented work. Come to Leicester to see for yourself!

Due to these extraordinary times, the Tour will look a little different this year. For this Tour,
we have 21 artists exhibiting along 11 stops. Most of them have chosen to participate both days, as usual, but a number of them are only going to be open on Saturday. This *Saturday Only* distinction will be noted on each artist’s info page on our website at www.cometoleicester.org. In our brochures and on our map, this will be denoted by color. Purple for Saturday only, orange for both.

Our artists will be showing outdoors or in areas where they can distance themselves and provide good ventilation. We ask that you please stay home if you feel sick and remember the three “W’s,” as we will all be following the recommended NCDHHS and Buncombe County public health guidelines of “Wear, Wait, and Wash.” Wear a mask, wait six feet apart, and wash your hands. Hand sanitizer will be available at every stop, and we encourage you to bring your own mask. We want this to be the same wonderful experience as always, but we also want it to be a safe event for all our customers and artists.

The thing that hasn’t changed is that visitors will still be able to view unique, hand-crafted
work, see how it’s made first hand, and even purchase a piece that can be taken home and treasured for years to come. Leicester Tour artists are comprised of both local and visiting artists from nearby communities, and make work in a variety of medium including clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, painting, and wood.
Participating artists this year include Wesley Angel, Valerie Berlage, John Cummings, Raquel Egosi, Michael Forehand, Andy Gordon, Barbara Hebert, Cat Jarosz, Beth Hampton Jones, Matt Jones, Sandra Mason, Patrick McDermott, Nirado, Cindy Parks, Janet Renfro, Suzanne Saunders, Anita Walling, Doc Welty, Brad Worden, and Noel Yovovich.

Are you looking for ways to support teachers and students of
Henderson County Public Schools as they return to learn in a virtual setting? The Henderson County
Education Foundation (HCEF) is responding to the current climate and offering mini-grants ($500) to
support innovative and remote learning. This grant program will provide an opportunity for teachers to
enhance their virtual classrooms.
The community can support the grant initiative through sponsorships and/or donations. With a goal to
raise $20,000, HCEF will be able to offer at least 40 grants to Henderson County Public School teachers,
grade levels, and departments. Sponsorship levels include a Super Spring Sponsor ($3,000) that provides
at least six mini-grants for teachers or a Spring Sponsor ($1,000) that provides two mini-grants. Each
sponsorship will also include recognition benefits. General donations of any amount are always
welcome. Visit the HCEF website for a complete list of sponsorship details and how to give –
www.hcefnc.org/ourwork/springfund.
Henderson County Public School individual teachers, grade levels, teaching teams, and departments can
apply for grants up to $500. Innovative remote learning includes technology (hardware and software
applications), e-books, educational licenses or subscriptions, and manipulatives/kits for students. The
grants application is due by 11:59 PM August 19, 2020, and all recipients will be notified by August 31,
2020.

As families are looking to start the 2020/2021 school year with remote learning, Henderson County Public Schools is addressing the need of families without access to internet in their homes. Families without internet access can request hotspots from HCPS. Spanish form available.

Child Care Hotline Available to Help Families with School-Age Children Find Care Families have experienced an interruption in child care plans due to the COVID19 pandemic and North Carolina has responded with a hotline that can help connect families with child care options. Families and caregivers in need of child care for children up to age 12 can call the child care hotline at 1-888-600-1685 to be connected directly to care options in their community that meet their families’ needs. As of Aug. 10, there are about 30,000 slots available for school-age children in licensed child care programs across the state.

Equity underlies everything we do. We serve immigrants, low-wealth, and disadvantaged individuals of every age. We know that literacy is the primary determinant of health, employment, income levels, and constructive self-expression. In 2017, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that sixty percent of children nationwide are not reading proficiently. Without intervention children who do not read proficiently become adults with low literacy and the cycle continues. Our one-on-one and small group tutoring is free and based on students’ schedules, making it accessible to those who would otherwise be unable to afford or attend traditional classroom settings.

Our Ideal Volunteer Tutor

The ideal volunteer tutor is someone seeking to make a one-year commitment of two hours per week to help someone else make the change of a lifetime. For our volunteer tutors, an education background is helpful, but not necessary. The most important qualities are patience, an open mind, and resourcefulness. Tutors also need to be non-judgmental and sensitive to cultural differences. A GED or high school diploma is required. Ideal tutors enjoy seeing concrete outcomes from their efforts and sharing in the life-changing successes of others. See our full tutor position description here.

Voices in the Laurel is currently registering young musicians in grades 1 – 12 into one of the
three ensembles, with rehearsals starting on Monday, August 31.

Calling all families! If you visit the Museum with children and/or participate in the Museum’s family programs (or might in the future!), we want to hear from you. As we transition family programs to virtual or small-group in-person formats, we need your feedback to create a model that will work for you this fall. We’re giving away a FREE guest pass to one of the first 50 people to fill out the survey.

Are you looking for ways to support teachers and students of
Henderson County Public Schools as they return to learn in a virtual setting? The Henderson County
Education Foundation (HCEF) is responding to the current climate and offering mini-grants ($500) to
support innovative and remote learning. This grant program will provide an opportunity for teachers to
enhance their virtual classrooms.
The community can support the grant initiative through sponsorships and/or donations. With a goal to
raise $20,000, HCEF will be able to offer at least 40 grants to Henderson County Public School teachers,
grade levels, and departments. Sponsorship levels include a Super Spring Sponsor ($3,000) that provides
at least six mini-grants for teachers or a Spring Sponsor ($1,000) that provides two mini-grants. Each
sponsorship will also include recognition benefits. General donations of any amount are always
welcome. Visit the HCEF website for a complete list of sponsorship details and how to give –
www.hcefnc.org/ourwork/springfund.
Henderson County Public School individual teachers, grade levels, teaching teams, and departments can
apply for grants up to $500. Innovative remote learning includes technology (hardware and software
applications), e-books, educational licenses or subscriptions, and manipulatives/kits for students. The
grants application is due by 11:59 PM August 19, 2020, and all recipients will be notified by August 31,
2020.

As families are looking to start the 2020/2021 school year with remote learning, Henderson County Public Schools is addressing the need of families without access to internet in their homes. Families without internet access can request hotspots from HCPS. Spanish form available.

Child Care Hotline Available to Help Families with School-Age Children Find Care Families have experienced an interruption in child care plans due to the COVID19 pandemic and North Carolina has responded with a hotline that can help connect families with child care options. Families and caregivers in need of child care for children up to age 12 can call the child care hotline at 1-888-600-1685 to be connected directly to care options in their community that meet their families’ needs. As of Aug. 10, there are about 30,000 slots available for school-age children in licensed child care programs across the state.

Equity underlies everything we do. We serve immigrants, low-wealth, and disadvantaged individuals of every age. We know that literacy is the primary determinant of health, employment, income levels, and constructive self-expression. In 2017, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that sixty percent of children nationwide are not reading proficiently. Without intervention children who do not read proficiently become adults with low literacy and the cycle continues. Our one-on-one and small group tutoring is free and based on students’ schedules, making it accessible to those who would otherwise be unable to afford or attend traditional classroom settings.

Our Ideal Volunteer Tutor

The ideal volunteer tutor is someone seeking to make a one-year commitment of two hours per week to help someone else make the change of a lifetime. For our volunteer tutors, an education background is helpful, but not necessary. The most important qualities are patience, an open mind, and resourcefulness. Tutors also need to be non-judgmental and sensitive to cultural differences. A GED or high school diploma is required. Ideal tutors enjoy seeing concrete outcomes from their efforts and sharing in the life-changing successes of others. See our full tutor position description here.

Voices in the Laurel is currently registering young musicians in grades 1 – 12 into one of the
three ensembles, with rehearsals starting on Monday, August 31.

Calling all families! If you visit the Museum with children and/or participate in the Museum’s family programs (or might in the future!), we want to hear from you. As we transition family programs to virtual or small-group in-person formats, we need your feedback to create a model that will work for you this fall. We’re giving away a FREE guest pass to one of the first 50 people to fill out the survey.

As families are looking to start the 2020/2021 school year with remote learning, Henderson County Public Schools is addressing the need of families without access to internet in their homes. Families without internet access can request hotspots from HCPS. Spanish form available.

Child Care Hotline Available to Help Families with School-Age Children Find Care Families have experienced an interruption in child care plans due to the COVID19 pandemic and North Carolina has responded with a hotline that can help connect families with child care options. Families and caregivers in need of child care for children up to age 12 can call the child care hotline at 1-888-600-1685 to be connected directly to care options in their community that meet their families’ needs. As of Aug. 10, there are about 30,000 slots available for school-age children in licensed child care programs across the state.

Classic Family Adventure in Western North Carolina

North Carolina’s shimmering Nantahala River, located just outside Bryson City, NC, at 13077 Highway 19 West, Bryson City, NC 28713. This location offers river rafting through family-friendly rapids that are mild but exciting. The Nantahala features eight miles of practice on easy Class II rapids before splashing through the exciting Class III whitewater of Nantahala Falls.

The Nantahala is also headquarters of the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Founded in 1972, NOC is located at the intersection of the Appalachian Trail and the Nantahala River in the Nantahala National Forest. Originally a roadside inn, the company has evolved into one of the largest outdoor recreation companies in the nation, hosting well over one million guests each year.

NOC’s 500-acre adventure center offers whitewater rafting, four aerial and zipline activities, mountain biking on nine miles of private trails, and stand-up paddleboarding on Lake Fontana. In between activities, you can shop at one of NOC’s four retail stores including NOC’s flagship Outfitter’s Store, eat at NOC’s two riverfront restaurants, and even stay in a cabin adjoining the Appalachian Trail.

Equity underlies everything we do. We serve immigrants, low-wealth, and disadvantaged individuals of every age. We know that literacy is the primary determinant of health, employment, income levels, and constructive self-expression. In 2017, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that sixty percent of children nationwide are not reading proficiently. Without intervention children who do not read proficiently become adults with low literacy and the cycle continues. Our one-on-one and small group tutoring is free and based on students’ schedules, making it accessible to those who would otherwise be unable to afford or attend traditional classroom settings.

Our Ideal Volunteer Tutor

The ideal volunteer tutor is someone seeking to make a one-year commitment of two hours per week to help someone else make the change of a lifetime. For our volunteer tutors, an education background is helpful, but not necessary. The most important qualities are patience, an open mind, and resourcefulness. Tutors also need to be non-judgmental and sensitive to cultural differences. A GED or high school diploma is required. Ideal tutors enjoy seeing concrete outcomes from their efforts and sharing in the life-changing successes of others. See our full tutor position description here.