JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, UNITED STATES, July 31, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- This morning, representatives from the Mississippi Book Festival and Atmos Energy gathered on the steps of the Mississippi State Capitol, where Atmos Energy presented a donation of $7,500 to the Mississippi Book Festival. Marshall Ramsey, two-time Pulitzer nominated cartoonist, and Dr. Kathleen Grigsby, an Elementary Division Assistant Superintendent for Jackson Public Schools, spoke at the event, a testament to the Mississippi Book Festival and Atmos Energy’s shared commitment to promoting children’s literacy.

Atmos Energy’s generous donation will sponsor the festival’s “Turn the Page” event with Marshall Ramsey. Turn the Page is the festival’s year-round student initiative that kicked off last fall, in which acclaimed authors are invited into schools around the state to engage in-person with students, in an effort to encourage young people to create and shape their own stories. For the first time, there will be a Turn the Page event on the day of the Mississippi Book Festival—September 14, 2024—amongst the 50+ panel discussions also taking place that day. This Turn the Page event will feature Marshall Ramsey and take place in the Children’s Workshop Room in Galloway Church. This programming will begin with story time, during which Ramsey will read his latest book, followed by a storyboarding workshop, which will teach aspiring young storytellers how to sketch a story scene by scene.

In addition to the Book Festival, Marshall Ramsey’s “Turn the Page” program will be introduced in Jackson Public Schools this Fall, also thanks to Atmos Energy’s generous support. During today’s presentation, JPS Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Grigsby expressed support for the initiative, which engages students in small group settings, promotes creative writing, and explores the art of storytelling. This initiative aligns with Atmos Energy’s long-standing commitment to promoting literacy in the communities they serve through partnerships with public schools.

“The Mississippi Book Festival is incredibly grateful for the generous donation provided by Atmos Energy,” said Ellen Daniels, Executive Director of the Mississippi Book Festival. “On September 14th, the grounds of the Mississippi State Capitol will welcome thousands of festivalgoers of all ages and backgrounds to hear from and meet their favorite authors, buy books, and enjoy family-friendly activities. We admire Atmos’s dedication to supporting literacy throughout the state and are deeply grateful to them for helping us build such a vibrant book-loving community.”

Atmos Energy is the country’s largest natural gas-only distributor, providing reliable, affordable, efficient, and abundant natural gas to more than 3 million distribution customers across eight states located primarily in the South. Atmos aims to give back to the communities they serve by collaborating with local school districts and education foundations, providing resources to ensure that children can read by third grade. Atmos has also partnered with Vooks, an online streaming service that offers books to parents, teachers, and elementary students in their service area. As such, it was a natural choice for Atmos to support the Mississippi Book Festival, which works with a variety of schools each year to encourage a love for stories in Mississippi’s youth by hosting student events with world-class authors and providing books for children and their schools.

“Atmos Energy is thrilled to support the Mississippi Book Festival,” said Bobby Morgan, Vice President of Public Affairs of Atmos Energy. “The ability to read and have access to books is critical to a child’s development, as stories allow them to grow intellectually, emotionally, and creatively. The Mississippi Book Festival has done an amazing job of working with children throughout the state, and we are honored to support them in any way we can.”

The 2024 Mississippi Book Festival takes place September 14th from 9am to 5pm in and around the Mississippi State Capitol and is free and open to all. To learn more about the Mississippi Book Festival, visit their website at msbookfestival.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram (@msbookfestival), or Twitter (@msbookfest). To learn more about Atmos Energy, visit their website at atmosenergy.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram (@atmosenergy), or Twitter (@atmosenergy).

Ellen Daniels
Mississippi Book Festival
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