TENNESSEE BOOK COMPANY TEAMING WITH TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS TO STRENGTHEN RURAL DISTRICTS REMOTE

Grant Will Support Five Rural Districts with Digital Tools Needed to Keep Kids Learning In & Outside Classroom

NASHVILLE, TN (July 10, 2020) - Tennessee Book Company®, an Ingram Content Group company, in collaboration with the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and the National Rural Education Association (NREA), was awarded a regional grant to help five Tennessee rural school districts expand their remote learning capabilities.

As part of a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI), several Tennessee K-12 school districts will be provided access to the digital services of Tennessee Books Company’s Thrivist® platform. The grant provides financial and technical assistance to improve community and economic development in Decatur County, Henderson County, Lexington City, Perry County and Chester County school districts.

“The Tennessee Board of Regents is excited about the opportunity to provide the resource to expand remote learning capabilities to the rural school districts through this grant opportunity with USDA,” said Chancellor Flora Tydings. “The grant program proposal submitted by TBR is the first of its kind to be funded by USDA and can serve as a model for similar programs across the nation.”

Thrivist is a teaching and learning platform that brings district content and digital resources into one individualized learning experience for unlimited learning.

Services provided through Thrivist include: 

• Expanding the existing digital platform of the Southwest Tennessee Career Readiness Network portal to enhance remote learning options; 
• Providing professional development for the school districts to improve remote learning instructional practices and build internal capacity;
• Providing access to digital content that will enhance the existing remote learning options currently in place for the identified school districts. 

“As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning and online education has become a genuine necessity. K-12 districts and teachers are in the situation of having to rapidly learn to teach in very different ways and students and families are looking for easier ways to access content at home. We are excited that Thrivist can help facilitate a seamless digital learning experience that works for districts, teachers, students and parents alike. The leadership of the Tennessee Board of Regents, Tennessee School Board Association, and National Rural Education Association will not only help these five counties, but hopefully provide a path for other districts across the region,” said Todd Svec, Vice President of Tennessee Book Company.

"Henderson County is looking forward to our collaboration with Thrivist to help provide distance learning to the children of our community and the collaboration with the other districts involved," said Henderson County Director of Schools Steve Wilkinson.

About Ingram | www.ingramcontent.com

The world is reading and Ingram Content Group (“Ingram”) connects people with content in all forms. Providing comprehensive services for publishers, retailers, libraries, and educators, Ingram makes these services seamless and accessible through technology, innovation, and creativity. With an expansive global network of offices and facilities, Ingram’s services include digital and physical book distribution, print on demand, and digital learning. Ingram Content Group is a part of Ingram Industries Inc. and includes Ingram Book Group LLC, Ingram Publisher Services LLC, Lightning Source LLC, VitalSource Technologies LLC, Ingram Library Services LLC, and Tennessee Book Company LLC.

Media Contact: Shannon Hunt, shannon@tsgnashville.com, 615-321-3110