For more than 50 years, Upward Bound has been preparing students in -need for college and success after graduation. Students in the program receive guidance and resources from 9thgrade through college. Founded in 1965, it was the first federally funded program to help low-income and first-generation students succeed in higher education and attain middle class status. Locally, the program helped students through the mid-1990s. Now Upward Bound is back on the Mid-Shore thanks to three federal grants awarded to Chesapeake College this year.

When Rock Hall FallFest takes place on Sat., Oct. 14 for its 26th anniversary event, the annual small-town street fair that celebrates the “return” of the mighty oyster, as well as a legacy of great live music, will feature nonstop music on two stages during the 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. event.

The month of September is No Matter What…You Matter Suicide Prevention Month and For All Seasons urges all citizens to actively work toward the prevention of suicide and to reach out to one another and ASK – “Are you okay?” LISTEN – without judgment, and SHARE – vital resources to promote an inclusive and mentally healthy community.

Summer vacation for Kent County Public Schools ended with the Labor Day holiday, as students returned to classrooms this week. The school doors reopened Tuesday morning, Sept. 5, with teachers and staff greeting students and families. As has been tradition, Kent County High School and Kent County Middle School opened to their youngest students on that first day, giving freshmen and sixth-graders an opportunity to see their new buildings without their older peers. Upperclassmen at the middle and high schools returned Wednesday, Sept. 6. 

The Garfield Center for the Arts has announced audition dates for Kate Hamill’s adaptation of “Little Women.” Auditions will be held Saturday, September 23rd at 2:00 PM, and Monday and Thursday, September 25th and 28th, at 6:30 PM 

The fifth annual Kent Goes Purple 5K Color Run/Walk and Purple Jamboree is set for 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 10 in Wilmer Park. Kent Goes Purple (KGP) is a substance abuse awareness and prevention initiative of the Kent County Sheriff’s Office and the Chestertown Rotary Club, in partnership with Kent County Behavioral Health Prevention Office, that empowers our youth and our community to ‘Go Purple’ as a sign of taking a stand against substance abuse. This is year six for the initiative, and the fifth color run. 

For All Seasons is hosting a free community event, "We All Have a Role to Play in Suicide Prevention," on September 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre in Easton. The event is part of a powerful speaker series presentation led by suicide expert and leader within the Veterans Affairs’ National Suicide Prevention Program, Dr. Andrew Moon, and facilitated by For All Seasons President and CEO Beth Anne Dorman. Participants will strengthen their awareness around the topic of suicide prevention, and learn how to reduce suicide risks, leaving attendees with the hope, readiness, and strategies to make a difference in their community.

The school doors were kept open throughout much of July with Acceleration Academies offering students a chance to boost their education over the summer. Around 375 students across all grade levels enrolled in Kent County Public School's Acceleration Academies this summer.

To promote early detection of prostate cancer, the Cancer Program at University of Maryland Shore Regional Health has scheduled a screening event on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cancer Center, 509 Idlewild Avenue in Easton. Provided at no cost to participants, this screening is part of a clinical trial.

We are excited to welcome several new community members to Kent School as well as wish several colleagues the best in their new roles.