In this episode, we sit down with Alton Ford of Taylor County, Georgia, to talk about grassroots literacy efforts making a real impact—and how those efforts connect to the Georgia Strawberry Festival.

We also spotlight Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and how the Flint Foundation proudly sponsors free book access for children ages newborn to five in Macon, Marion, Talbot, and Taylor Counties—helping build strong readers from the very start.

🎧 Topics include rural literacy, early childhood education, community partnerships, volunteering, and the power of books in small-town Georgia.

Get Involved

• Sign up your child (ages 0–5) for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library online:

  https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/

• Interested in literacy work in Taylor County or volunteering for the Georgia Strawberry Festival 5K?

📧 Contact Alton Ford: altonford42@gmail.com
📞 Cell: 478-837-5973
🏫 Taylor County Schools: 478-862-9524

Keywords: rural literacy, Taylor County Georgia, Flint Foundation, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, early childhood education, Georgia literacy programs, community volunteering, Strawberry Festival Georgia

Creative learning meets real-world impact in this episode featuring the Full STEAM Ahead Grant from Flint Energies and the Flint Energies Foundation.

Guest Holly Owen, a teacher at Tucker Elementary School in Perry, Georgia, shares how STEAM projects spark curiosity and engagement in and beyond the classroom.

The Full STEAM Ahead program supports PreK–12 public and private schools in Flint Energies’ 17-county service area. Two schools will receive $3,000 grants funded through unclaimed capital credits designated for education.

🗓 Deadline: March 9, 2026
📝 Apply: https://flintenergies.com/steam

In this episode, we head to Thomaston, Georgia, to spotlight one of Flint Energies’ Rural Murals projects—and a unique partnership that helped bring it to life. This mural was created in collaboration with the University of Georgia’s Color the World program, blending local pride with student-led creativity to transform a downtown wall into a powerful reflection of community identity.

More than public art, Thomaston’s mural celebrates place, people, and possibility. We talk about how partnerships like this one strengthen rural communities, engage the next generation, and help downtowns become more vibrant, welcoming spaces for residents and visitors alike.

🎧 In this episode, we discuss:
• How Thomaston’s Rural Mural came together through community and campus collaboration
• The impact of partnering with UGA’s Color the World program
• Why murals are powerful tools for downtown revitalization
• How public art helps small towns tell their story and build pride

✨ Could your hometown be next?
Applications are now available for the 2026 Rural Murals Grant. Flint Energies partners with rural communities across Middle and Southwest Georgia to create custom murals that celebrate local history and culture, spark economic development, and strengthen sense of place.

👉 Apply for the 2026 Rural Murals Grant: ⁠https://flintenergies.com/rural-murals⁠

📍 To keep up with events, shopping, dining, and downtown happenings in Thomaston, follow the City of Thomaston Main Street page on Facebook:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/mainstreetthomaston

🎧 Listen in to hear how Thomaston used art, partnership, and creativity to color its community—and how your town could tell its story through the Rural Murals Program.