The J.M. Smucker Company Presents $15,000 Check to B.E.S.T. Pre-K Academy as New Partners-In-Education
On Monday, November 17, the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce hosted a check presentation announcing The J.M. Smucker Company’s $15,000 contribution to B.E.S.T. Pre-K Academy as part of a new Partners-In-Education collaboration. A first-time participant in the Chamber’s Partners-In-Education program, The J.M. Smucker Company was connected with B.E.S.T. Pre-K Academy to support its mission of early childhood education.
Merkitha Johnson, HR Manager for The J.M. Smucker Company, said the company explored becoming a Partner-In-Education earlier this year after conversations with Amber Fortenberry, the Chamber’s Director of Talent Development & Recruitment. Johnson and her team later met B.E.S.T. Pre-K Academy Principal Jennifer Edwards during the Chamber’s Partners-In-Education Breakfast in August, where plans for the partnership began to take shape. Johnson said the company wanted to “do something big” to support the academy in its first year.
This school year, Decatur City Schools opened the B.E.S.T. Pre-K Academy on Fourth Street Southwest to bring nearly 400 Pre-K students from 12 elementary campuses together under one roof.
The Chamber’s Partners-In-Education program links area businesses and industries with schools in Decatur, Hartselle and Morgan County to provide educational opportunities for the students and increase the awareness of area businesses and industries. These partnerships heighten understanding of present and future workforce needs, help strengthen the education of future employees and customers, and deepen appreciation for the vital role public schools play in the community’s economic well-being.
To view the full list of Partners-In-Education for the three school districts, click here.
In photo from left to right: Candace Pride, HR Coordinator for The J.M. Smucker Company; Jennifer Edwards, Principal of the B.E.S.T. Pre-K Academy; Merkitha Johnson, HR Manager for The J.M. Smucker Company; and Amber Fortenberry, Director of Talent Development & Recruitment for the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce