The Arthur E. and Cornelia C. Scroggins Fund through the Community Foundation of Southwest Kansas has awarded Smoky Hills Public Television a grant for $3,500.

The Foundation’s grant will provide two books (one English/Spanish bilingual and one English only) to each of the 417 children enrolled in Head Start in Ford County during the 2018-2019 school year.  As well as, support for children’s television programming.

“With this fund we are able to put books in children’s hands, therefore encouraging them to read and learn,” said Larry Calvery, Smoky Hills Public Television General Manager. “That’s what we do here at Smoky Hills Public Television, help educate our young viewers.  With the fund from the Community Foundation of Southwest Kansas we expect that the children of Ford County will develop a greater love of learning with the new books they receive.”

Smoky Hills Public Television serves 71 counties in central and western Kansas and has been named the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Non-Metro Station of the Year, broadcasting 64 commercial-free hours per week of educational programming.  Of the 25 different children’s programs SHPTV airs each week, 17 are targeted toward preschool children with five focusing on literacy, eight on science and math, and four on social skills.  SHPTV also broadcasts these programs on their 24-hour PBS Kids channel (Channel 21.2 in Ford County).

The Arthur E. and Cornelia C. Scroggins Fund was established to support quality of life issues and provide education opportunities for youth in Ford and Gray Counties.