Adopt-a-Class TN, a nonprofit founded in Tellico Village in 2017, recently distributed 200 editions of Highlights magazine to second-grade students from Loudon, Steekee and Vonore elementary schools.

The organization purchased nine-month subscriptions for every second-grader at all three schools.

Highlights is a long-running youth magazine aimed at ages 6-12 that seeks to help students become curious, creative, caring and confident.


“It’s a wonderful magazine that offers many different sections that are very stimulating to children, so they have stories that they can read, games to play, jokes sections — one of the favorites is hidden pictures,” Karen Hamerslag, founder and director of Adopt-a-Class, said. “Children tend to love it because it’s basically — it’s a fun magazine but it’s also very academically interesting for getting the kids to be curious. They learn, the topics that are presented are educational, so it’s sort of a win in that the kids enjoy it but they are also learning and inspired to learn more when they read this magazine. That’s why we chose this to be one of our major projects.”

Hamerslag said paying for the magazines took roughly a year of serious fundraising. The total cost of 200 nine-month subscriptions was $3,270.

“We do multiple fundraisers throughout the year,” she said. “One of our best projects is very unique to us where we produce greeting cards and the cover of the cards feature designs the children at these three schools create. … We do that and then some fundraising in Tellico Village, plus we get some monetary contributions. All these things are involved in raising money, because this is not the only thing we spend money on. We purchase supplies, we support projects, we spend quite a bit of money on these schools that we have to work hard to raise. But I’m really happy about having this project.”

In addition to the magazines, the organization spent $4,000 on school supplies and projects in the past year. Adopt-a-Class also provides volunteers who work directly with students.

“We’re very appreciative of Karen and Adopt-a-Class,” Christie Amburn, Loudon Elementary School principal, said. “We love the monetary support, but I’d tell you having people, volunteers, back in the building is huge because the volunteers play such a huge role with our kids and they get really attached. We’re glad to have our volunteers back.”

While visiting a LES class Feb. 2 to distribute the magazines, Hamerslag said she was blown away by the reaction of children. Within moments of receiving their copy, students were excitedly leafing through it, completing the activities and reading jokes to each other.

“It is very exciting,” Christa Fray, LES second-grade teacher, said. “These kids, some of them have never even seen a magazine. The time that we are in, magazines are not really — it’s all digital. Having it in their hands and being able to look — look how excited they are. Some of these would never see these before, so I’m just super thrilled and happy and thankful that they were able to get this for our school.”

Hamerslag said students getting their own copy to take home was important since many don’t have the means to get magazines otherwise.

“We are going to use them, the reading passages, to help prepare for our reading, work on fluency and just for them to gain more knowledge,” Fray said.

The current subscription runs until December, with a pause in June and July while school is out. Second-grade students were deemed the most appropriate grade to start with by Hamerslag and school principals. However, she said her hope is to provide magazines to additional grade levels once the organization can raise enough funds.

“My hope is that we can expand and cover two grades next year,” Hamerslag said. “I want to, of course, continue with second grade next spring, as well as hopefully adding third grade, would be the next grade. We need to keep the money rolling.”

Those wishing to support the effort can mail checks, made payable to “Adopt-a-Class TN,” c/o Karen Hamerslag, 232 Elohi Way, Loudon, TN 37774, or give through PayPal @2serveschools. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, all donations are tax deductible.

For more information, visit online at www.adoptaclasstn.org.