Growing up as the son of parents who were high school English teachers, education was at the forefront of just about every conversation, every situation, and every drive home from school.

There were times — before I had my drivers license — that I would be in the back seat of the car as my parents discussed the finer points of American literature, techniques on teaching students how to diagram a sentence or an upcoming writing assignment.

To think that I chose a career that involved writing to this day remains a mix of mystery and miracle.

But, what those car rides to school and back home again did, as well as the countless nights watching my parents grade papers, prepare for the next day’s classes and determine the best route to help dozens of students to succeed, was to give me a deep appreciation for teachers and education.

Over the past few weeks, you have seen the amount of coverage of local school events, and news related to education, increase. The weekly school and youth section has been moved and expanded and there is more to come.

Also, The Vicksburg Post has long had what is called a Newspapers In Education Program.

This program provides to schools and teachers copies of the newspaper to use in their teaching.

This year though, that program has reached new heights.

Thanks to the continued financial support of readers, the Newspapers In Education program has been able to provide newspapers to hundreds of students over the past few years. This year, the program will reach a few thousand students.

Beginning next Wednesday, more than 3,500 students in Warren County will receive a copy of the newspaper. These newspapers are used in creative ways by teachers, from being used to teaching current events to being used in art classes.

Here are a few other areas a national Newspapers In Education group has provided:

• Newspapers contain something for every student: real math problems, science as it happens, editorials on current topics, local news, entertainment highlights, classified ads and more.

• Newspapers can be marked on, cut, pasted and colored. These activities are important to young children who learn by seeing and doing. Newspapers provide children with a new workbook every day!

•  Newspapers are “living textbooks,” reporting history as it happens, while creating interest in current events.

As part of The Vicksburg Post’s staff, we cannot be more thrilled with the partnership we have formed with local schools, school leaders and teachers, and providing these newspapers to our teachers for them to use.

Again, I want to offer my thanks to all of those who have provided donations over the years to make the success of this program a reality. I also want to thank those teachers and schools who signed up to receive copies of the newspaper and I invite others to come on board — whether it be teachers and schools asking for newspapers or those wanting to help continue and build the program.

When it comes to helping our area schools — whether they be public or private — it is our responsibility as a community and as members of that community to do what we can.

To all of the students who will begin getting a newspaper each Wednesday starting next week, we hope you enjoy it.

•

Tim Reeves is publisher of The Vicksburg Post. You may reach him at tim.reeves@vicksburgpost.com.