Category: Schools and Education
Coverage of schools, colleges, academic programs, student achievements, educational events, and youth opportunities in Berea, Richmond, and Madison County.
Back-to-School Carnival in Berea Puts Foster Children First 🎒
For many children, the fast-approaching back-to-school season begins with a standard shopping list. They need sharpened pencils, fresh notebooks, new shoes, and a backpack sturdy enough to survive another year of activity. For a child navigating the foster care system, however, the beginning of a new school year can involve much more complicated changes. There…
There Is Still Time for Free Weekday Lunches at the Berea Library 🥪
Summer has a way of moving faster than expected. June programs begin, the Fourth of July passes, and families start thinking about school supplies before they realize several weeks of summer remain. One useful Berea program is still available throughout that final stretch. The Madison County Public Library’s Berea branch is offering Lunch Bunch To-Go…
Seussical Opens Spotlight Acting School’s 24th Season With Two Casts and a Senior Send-Off 🎭
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” That simple idea sits at the heart of Seussical the Musical. It also fits the work Spotlight Acting School has been doing in Berea for more than two decades: every student matters, every role matters, and every young person deserves an opportunity to be heard. Spotlight Acting…
Bug Safari Gives Berea Kids a Real-World Nature Hunt Close to Home 🐞
Children are usually better at finding bugs than adults are. Adults walk through the yard thinking about schedules, errands, dinner, and whether the laundry ever actually ends. Children crouch down. They notice the beetle on the sidewalk. The ant trail near the porch. The tiny thing moving on a leaf. The bug that looks strange…
Feeding Berea While School Is Out: Training the Next Generation of Growers 🌱
SUN Meals and the Sprouts Youth Market are feeding Berea families this summer while teaching local youth how to grow, sell, and support their community.
Tiny Creatures, Big Role: Forestry Outreach Center Documentary Highlights Caterpillars During Pollinator Week 🐛
Caterpillars are easy to overlook. They are small. They are quiet. They are usually crawling on a leaf somewhere while the butterflies, bees, and flowers get all the attention. But during Pollinator Week, the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center is giving caterpillars a turn in the spotlight. The Center will host a showing of The…
Family Outdoor Guide: Forestry Outreach Center Events Offer Easy Ways to Get Outside in Berea 🌲
If your family needs a reason to get outside this summer, the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center has a strong late-June lineup. This is the kind of local calendar that works well for Berea families because it does not ask too much. You do not have to plan a whole vacation. You do not have…
Madison County Schools Summer Feeding Program Kicks Off June 1
MADISON COUNTY, Ky. — Madison County Schools will launch its summer feeding program Monday, June 1, with a kickoff event for families at the Glenn Marshall Elementary and B. Michael Caudill Middle School parking lot. The kickoff will run from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the GME/BMCMS parking lot. The district states the summer…
Next Level Soccer Camp Offers Summer Youth Training at Berea College
BEREA, Ky. — A weeklong soccer camp for young players is scheduled for June 1 through June 5 at Berea College Alumni Field. Next Level Soccer Camp is open to girls and boys ages 8 to 17 and will focus on individual, technical, and tactical training for players who want to keep developing their skills.…
🌟🎭 Annie KIDS Opens May 29 at The Spotlight Playhouse
BEREA, Ky. — Spotlight Acting School’s youngest division of stage performers will take center stage beginning Friday, May 29 🗓️, as the bright and inspiring Annie KIDS opens for a multi-weekend run at The Spotlight Playhouse in Berea. 🎶👧🐶 The production features a massive lineup of local youth actors ranging from ages 4 to 11…
Creative Arts Camp Brings “New York, New York” Theme to The Spotlight Playhouse June 8 to 12
BEREA, Ky. — Spotlight Acting School will offer an immersive week of summer enrichment for local students from June 8 to 12 with the return of its annual Creative Arts Camp at The Spotlight Playhouse in Berea. 🗓 Dates: June 8 to 12📍 Location: The Spotlight Playhouse, 214 Richmond Road, Berea🎭 Theme: “New York, New…
Spotlight Acting School’s Creative Arts Camp Returns June 8–12: A Week of ‘New York, New York’
BEREA, Ky. — Summer break can be a challenge for families who want something more meaningful than another week of screens, but still need a structured, full-day environment for their children. Spotlight Acting School’s Creative Arts Camp is designed to fill that gap. Running Monday through Friday, June 8–12, at The Spotlight Playhouse (214 Richmond…
Berea College Commencement Set for May 10 With Governor Andy Beshear as Speaker
BEREA, Ky. — Berea College will welcome graduates, families, and visitors to campus on Sunday, May 10, for a full day of commencement events celebrating the Class of 2026. The day begins with the Baccalaureate Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. in Phelps Stokes, followed by the main Commencement Ceremony at 2:00 p.m. in the Main Arena…
A Month of Milestones: Navigating College and High School Graduation Traffic Across Madison County
MADISON COUNTY, Ky. — Madison County is about to get very busy, and the traffic will arrive in two massive waves. From the early-May college ceremonies to the late-May high school send-offs, local roads, restaurants, and shops are gearing up for a full month of graduation crowds. For local residents, a little planning is going…
Spotlight’s Film Acting Camp Offers Families a Summer Option Beyond the Stage
BEREA, Ky. — For Berea-area families trying to map out the final stretch of June, Spotlight Acting School is offering a summer camp that shifts the focus from stage lights to camera lenses. The school’s Film Acting Camp is scheduled for June 29 through July 3, 2026, at The Spotlight Playhouse. Open to rising sixth…
🎭 Spotlight Acting School Opens Registration for “New York, New York” Summer Creative Arts Camp
BEREA, Ky. — Families in Berea looking for a summer option that blends creativity, structure, and performance have a new date to circle on the calendar. Registration is officially open for Spotlight Acting School’s Creative Arts Camp, a weeklong program for rising first through ninth graders hosted at The Spotlight Playhouse on Richmond Road. The…
🐠 Disney’s Finding Nemo KIDS Swims Into Spotlight Acting School — and Shrek KIDS Is on the Horizon
BEREA, Ky. — There is a lot of excitement building at Spotlight Acting School right now, and for good reason. Coming up first is Disney’s Finding Nemo KIDS, which arrives April 24 through April 26 and brings one of Pixar’s most beloved stories to the stage. It follows Marlin, the anxious and overprotective clownfish, as…
🌌 From Earth to the Universe: Berea College Planetarium Invites Audiences to Look Up
BEREA, Ky. — If you missed the Berea College Planetarium’s recent presentations of Solar Superstorms, do not worry. Another journey into space is right around the corner. The Planetarium’s next featured show is From Earth to the Universe, scheduled for Friday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 5 at 4:00 p.m. at the…
🎩 Spotlight Acting School Heads to Whoville with Seussical the Musical
BEREA, Ky. — If you have been waiting for the right time to get involved with Spotlight Acting School, this may be it. Our next production is Seussical the Musical, a bright, funny, imaginative show that brings together some of Dr. Seuss’s most beloved characters for a stage adventure full of music, movement, heart, and…
🎭 Last Chance to See Disney’s Frozen JR. — and a Great Time to Discover Spotlight Acting School
BEREA, Ky. — This is the final weekend to catch Disney’s Frozen JR. at The Spotlight Playhouse. For anyone who has been curious about what Spotlight Acting School is all about, it is also the perfect time to come out and see it for yourself. There is something genuinely special about watching young performers take…