Several area groups and organizations have taken strong stands for education recently with significant contributions to Midlands school districts. Here is a look at some of those gifts.

The Kershaw County Historical Society donated 25 sets of local history books to the county’s four middle schools. Eighth grade Social Studies teachers and librarians will use the books to teach state and local history.

Each school received 625 books valued at $5,000.

“I think that these books are going to be a wonderful asset to our students and help them understand the reality of what life was like in Kershaw County throughout its history,” Camden Middle School teacher Chris Brinson said. “I really like the fact that we have books that cover such a wide range of local history topics.”

The Rotary Club of Cayce/West Columbia and the West Metro Rotary Club demonstrated a special way with words again this year, providing dictionaries to third grade students in Lexington 2, Lexington 4 and area private schools.

Chick-Fil-A joined the effort this year, providing a restaurant coupon with each dictionary.

Students in the Calhoun County Public School District can work directly with industry agriculture experts, thanks to the support of local farmers and America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education. The district received a $10,000 grant from the agency last month to fund a program that gives students the chance to learn from local farmers.

America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, allows farmers to nominate public school districts from their communities to compete for a $10,000 or $25,000 grant. The grants are used to boost math and/or science education.

“Through the grant, students will have the opportunity to tour area farms, touch the soil and see farmers and machinery at work,” said Ferlondo Tullock, deputy superintendent of Calhoun County Public School District. “Through this collaboration, we seek to spark the students’ interests in agribusiness and hope to educate the community’s future farmers to prepare for the challenge to feed America and the world.”

America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education started with a pilot in Illinois and Minnesota in 2011 and has since expanded to 1,245 eligible counties in 39 states.

School drug/alcohol forum

The A. C. Flora High School Improvement Council and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department will hold a Community Forum on Drugs and Alcohol at 6 p.m. Nov. 15 in the school’s theatre, 1 Falcon Drive.

Panel members include Judge H. Bruce Williams, SC Court of Appeals; Sharon Minnieweather, Richland 1 Review Board; Richland County Sheriff’s Deputy David Adams; and county forensics officers.