KEC to Celebrate Universal Human Rights Day

December 1, 2023

ELKINS-The Kump Education Center, Elkins, will be hosting a Human Rights Day Celebration Sunday, December 10 at 3 p.m. in the historic Kump House. The event marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and will feature local Eleanor Roosevelt re-enactor Becky Ashburn who will interpret the significance of the UDHR.

From 1946 to 1948, Eleanor Roosevelt took the lead as chairperson of a United Nations committee to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR]. Seventy-five years later, this document is still used as the definition of fair treatment for all people around the world when they may be mistreated as prisoners, refugees, or in any other compromising situation when the UN seeks to mitigate suffering.

“Mrs. Roosevelt was the most distinguished guest who visited the Kump House in the 1930s, and we are delighted to have her ‘return’ for this celebration,” said Kump Education Director Heather Biola. “Becky has been studying the life and work of Eleanor Roosevelt and will allow us to learn more about the personal history and philosophy of the woman who collaborated with other women to shape this UN document.”

“The event will help us understand that the principles of basic human rights and equality were inherent in everything the real Eleanor Roosevelt said and did,” Biola explained. “The Homestead housing project in Randolph County, West Virginia was one of her favorite New Deal initiatives. She liked the fact that the people in this area were willing to work and overcome their own disadvantages and earn their new homes.”

The UDHR is considered one of the most important works of the American Century and was inspired to bring human dignity to the thousands of people all over the world who were displaced after World War II.

“If there was ever a moment to revitalize the hope of human rights for every person, it is now,” explains Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. “We have more in common than we think. And if we hark back to our origins – and look forward to what the world could be in the future – we can see that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights not only voices ancient wisdoms from all cultures but will ensure our survival.”

“We want the world to remember that it’s not just a historical document,” he said, “but a living testament to our shared humanity —a timeless guide.”

The Kump Education Center event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. The Kump House is located at 401 Randolph Ave., Elkins (across from Kroger) with parking access in the rear accessible by Seneca Road. For more information about the KEC, visit kumpeducationcenter.org, email kumpec@gmail.com, or the Kump Education Center FB page.

KEC to host Saudi Arabia Presentation

ELKINS—The Kump Education Center will host an international lecture on Saudi Arabia Tuesday, July 25, at 7 p.m. at the Kump House in Elkins. The presentation titled “Saudi Arabia, Not Just a Desert Country” will be offered by Nasra Adan, a visiting lecturer from Prince Sultan University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Adan has traveled extensively worldwide, having lived in her home country of Canada, China, India, Korea, Japan, Kenya, and currently, Saudi Arabia. She can speak seven languages besides her native English: Chinese, Korean, Somali, Arabic, French, Swahili, and Spanish. Her language arts specialization has resulted in a career of teaching essay writing at the college level, and she has taught reading, listening, and speaking as a second language.

Adan’s lecture will feature a power-point presentation and Saudi treats and coffee afterward. She is married to Jacob Zuboy, formerly of Elkins.

The Kump Education Center is located at 401 Randolph Ave., Elkins (across from Kroger). Parking is available behind the Kump House with easy access on Seneca Road. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit kumpeducationcenter.com or the Kump Education Center Facebook page.

KEC RECEIVES WV HUMANITIES GRANT FOR SUMMER EVENT

May 9, 2023

CONTACT: Nanci Bross-Fregonara, Communications Specialist @ 304-516-4775

ELKINS – The West Virginia Humanities Council, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, recently announced that the Kump Education Center is the recipient of a minigrant that will partially fund an upcoming Wild, Wonderful Woods celebration at the historic Gov. Kump House Saturday, June 24, from noon to 5 p.m.

The grant will assist in creating interpretive panels and other display materials focusing on the Mountain State's rich forest heritage and how it impacted the region's economy and character. The exhibits will also highlight how the Kump House was constructed and furnished using local wood and wood craftsmen.

"We are grateful to have received this Humanities grant which will help elevate and celebrate the importance of our local forest," said Heather Biola, director of the Kump Education Center. "The event will be a wonderful way to bring together wood-related local artisans and organizations and acknowledge West Virginia's 160th anniversary of statehood."

The celebration's highlights include many children's activities, such as making ornaments for the National Christmas Tree, which will be harvested from the Monongahela National Forest this year. Local musicians will provide entertainment, and the KEC's popular Pie Auction will return at 2 p.m. The Gov. Kump House will be open for public tours during the entire event.

Several organizations have already committed to participating in the event, including the U.S. Forest Service, The Arts Center, Davis & Elkins College, the Elkins Tree Board, Tygart Valley Master Naturalists, Randolph County Technical Center, and the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area. Vendor booths will include forest-related crafts and food products.

The Humanities Council, serving West Virginia through grants and direct programs in the humanities, budgets over $800,000 for grants and programs each year. A variety of grants are offered to nonprofit organizations that support educational programming. Minigrants, designed for projects requesting $2,000 or less, are awarded four times yearly.

For more information about the West Virginia Humanities Council grants program, contact Humanities Council grants administrator Erin Riebe at (304) 346-8500 or via email at riebe@wvhumanities.org. Grant guidelines and applications are available on the Humanities Council website: www.wvhumanities.org.

For more information about the event or questions about being a participant or vendor, please visit www.kumpeducationcenter.org or email kumpec@gmail.com.

Grace Sundelein, a Kump Education Center volunteer serves up pie for a previous Pie Auction held at the Gov. Kump House. This popular event will return on Saturday, June 24 at 2 p.m. during the Wild, Wonderful Woods celebration.

Musician Katy McClane will be featured playing traditional Native American music at the Wild, Wonderful Woods celebration set for June 24, from noon until 5 p.m. at the historic Gov. Kump House in Elkins. The event includes public tours of the historic home, children’s activities, new interpretive displays, vendors and opportunities to learn about the region’s forest heritage.