Kentucky First Lady Britainy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman are teaming up to encourage donations of cloth face masks to school districts across the state.
The Coverings for Kids program will start accepting donations of child- and adult-sized masks for students and staff on Aug. 11.
“As a mom, nothing is more important to me than protecting each one of Kentucky’s children, as well as the teachers and staff who work hard every day to help them learn and grow,” Beshear said. “Kentuckians’ generosity is unmatched, and during this pandemic, this program will help ensure each school has enough masks to protect their students and staff.”
Donors can buy masks to donate or make them at home. The masks will be available free to all students, educators or school staff who find themselves without a mask or need to replace one during the day, Beshear said.
She recommended that school districts establish a central drop-off location to accept donations and distribute the masks in whatever way makes most sense for local needs.
The Office of the First Lady and Office of the Lieutenant Governor, through the Kentucky Department of Education, will provide each district with the donated facial coverings along with information to promote their use.
“I’m an educator who trusts educators,” Coleman said. “We want to provide each district with resources and guidance while still giving them the flexibility to make sure these coverings are going where they’re most needed at any given time.”
Details are available at FirstLady.ky.gov/CoveringsforKids, including links to mask-making tutorials and patterns.
Districts starting the school year with non-traditional instruction (NTI) or that transition to NTI during the year also can participate.
Questions can be emailed to Lindsay Bloom.
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