Taste of Wilson County supports new 'Guide'

New schools. New faces. Unfamiliar streets. Different stores and buildings. 

When a family relocates to a new place, getting acclimated can be as hard for children as it is for their parents.

Thanks to one teacher and a group of sixth graders at Winfree-Bryant Middle School, and financial backing from a Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber teacher grant, the Kid’s Guide to Wilson County is a helpful new resource for kids and families who are new to Wilson County, or for any child who wants to learn more about the area.

Last year, the Chamber of Commerce’s Education Division and the Business and Education Coalition awarded an education grant to Margie Hawkins, a sixth grade teacher at Winfree-Bryant. As a year-long project in 2011-2012, she used the grant funds with her EXTEND class to produce the Kid’s Guide to Wilson County. Her students performed research and conducted interviews to gather the information for the guide, which is being distributed to Wilson County Schools, to new families moving to the area, and to businesses considering a move to Wilson County. 

The Teacher Grant Program through which Hawkins received funding for the project is one of the Chamber education programs supported in part by proceeds from Taste of Wilson County each year. Representatives of Hawkins’ class presented copies of the Kid’s Guide to the Taste of Wilson County Committee earlier this month. 

This year’s Taste of Wilson County will take place Thursday, Oct. 18, at the West Lawn of Wilson Bank & Trust on West Main in Lebanon. Tickets can be purchased at area Wilson Bank & Trust offices or at the Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to teacher grants, Taste of Wilson County also benefits Wilson Books from Birth, TN Scholars and area scholarships. For more information on Taste of Wilson County, visit www.tasteofwilsoncounty.com.