Press Release

Provider Pals program introduced in Missouri

MO becomes 7^th state to adopt program that educates children about agricultural-based professions

October 12, 2004—Jefferson City, MO:  Elementary school children in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis will all take part of a growing national program that is finally coming to Missouri—Provider Pals.

Provider Pals is a national youth cultural exchange program that builds bridges of common understanding and respect between rural resource providers and elementary school children. Most of our youth have never known a farmer, logger or miner; and they provide the necessities of their everyday lives. The Providers communicate with the students on a regular basis via videotape and e-mails, culminating with the Provider making a personal visit to the classroom in April to meet the students they have gotten to know during the school year.

Five agricultural-based state organizations have joined forces to bring Provider Pals to Missouri for the 2004-2005 academic year:  Missouri Forest Products Association, Missouri Limestone Producers, Mining Industry Council, MFA, Inc. and the Mid-American CropLife Ambassadors.

The initial participating schools are as follows: Three classes of fourth graders at Columbia’s Russell Boulevard Elementary School; Rose Wrede’s second-grade class at Brookside Charter School in Kansas City and Jacqui Schilling’s fifth-grade class at Forder Elementary School in St. Louis.

The program was piloted by founder Bruce Vincent in Montana and Washington, D.C. from 1997 to 2002. Provider Pals has received national attention since the program has expanded into cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Detroit and Little Rock. For the 2003-2004 academic year the urban classroom/rural profession exchange took place in over 125 classrooms.

“We should hug a logger AND a tree,” Vincent says. “We should not have to pick between them.”

Vincent is available for interview regarding the Provider Pals program. For more information contact Missouri Forest Products Association Communications Coordinator at (573) 634-3252 or Rodric@moforest.org.