In a fun summer initiative, the Hale County Extension Office, in partnership with the Tombigbee RC & D Council, launched the “Smiley Face Pillow Kits” and “Football Pillow Kits” programs in Newbern and Hale County Middle School.
In Newbern, the program found a welcome place in the town library’s Summer Reading Program. Children and youth actively engaged in discussing emotional support and feelings.
The act of making nosew pillows, which are often seen as comforting items during emotional highs and lows, helped participants improve hand-eye coordination, mindfulness, and concentration. The Library Board and Librarian Barbara Williams were instrumental in the successful implementation of this initiative.
Meanwhile, at the Hale County Middle School, the West Alabama Boys and Girls Club enthusiastically adopted the pillow-making program. Again, the focus was on the significance of emotional support and feelings, using the act of creating pillows as a comforting and constructive activity. Thanks to Ms. Terri Cotton and her staff, the program found a place in the hearts of an active, inquisitive group of children.
These initiatives are part of Hale’s Amazing Learning Experiences (H.A.L.E.), sponsored by the Tombigbee RC & D Council in partnership with the Hale County Extension Office.
