PEP Foundation

05/14/2026

We love when we get to share our mission!

Thank you TNRDF for the incredible opportunity to present at your recent board meeting and your commitment to support our local schools and students!

05/05/2026

📣👏🎒Last Friday was the last grant box distribution day of the school year! 🎒📣👏

We’re so thankful for our backpack program coordinators and their distribution teams who make sure food gets from the unloading site- to packing teams- then to students!

👏👏👏 they are just the best! 👏👏👏

04/17/2026

⭐️SouthEast Bank makes a contribuition to the PEP Foundation. ⭐️

Thank you, SouthEast Bank, for supporting the PEP Foundation’s mission to support our students and schools by removing barriers to achievement!

We are incredibly thankful for our community partners who help make programs like Backpack and Care Closets possible through consistent support!

04/15/2026

💙❤️👏🏆PEP Rally 2026 was a huge success 🏆👏❤️💙

Because of YOU, our community showed up in a big way, raising and pledging over $57,000 to support Putnam County students and schools.

From the high-energy kickoff with student bands, cheerleaders, and mascots… to powerful performances, meaningful stories from the field, and students leading every detail of the event, this day was a true celebration of what happens when a community comes together!

💛 A special THANK YOU to our amazing sponsors who made it all possible:
TITLE Sponsor:
⭐️🏆 Tennessee Rural Development Fund 🏆⭐️

Team Sponsors:

📣 Averitt Express 📣

🐾 First National Bank 🐾

👏 The Realty Firm & First Horizon👏

But we’re not done yet.
We’re so close to our $65,000 goal, and we need YOU on our team.

The question we asked still stands:
Will you be there for them?

If you couldn’t make it this year, there’s still time to step in and make a difference for students who need it most.

Join our team today. Together, we can ensure every student has the support they need to succeed. www.peptn.org

04/15/2026

03/20/2026

❤️💙💛📣Let’s Rally for our Students and Schools📣💛💙❤️

We’re excited to announce sponsors and support for PEP Rally 2026!

Press Release for 3/20

Putnam County, Tenn. — The Putnam Education Partnership (PEP) Foundation will host the 2026 PEP Rally on April 1, 2026, from noon to 1 pm and will be held at the Putnam County Convention Center. This year, the Tennessee Rural Development Fund has joined the Foundation as the title sponsor.

This year’s event theme, “Will You Be There for Them?”, will bring together community members to join the foundation in its work to support local students, educators, and schools, with the goal of raising awareness and critical funding for the PEP Foundation’s programs. 

The PEP Foundation plays a vital role in initiatives that support local schools, address students’ basic needs, and increase access to opportunities, with the goal of ensuring every child has the support they need to thrive. “This event is about more than awareness; it’s about action,” said Katelyn Steakley, Executive Director of the PEP Foundation. “Every day, we see how community support directly impacts a child’s ability to succeed. The question we’re asking is simple: Will you be there for them?”
The program will feature powerful, real-life stories from employees of the Putnam County school system, highlighting how the Foundation’s programs are making a difference in students’ lives. The event will also include the presentation of the Rick Burnett Servant’s Heart Award, recognizing individuals who exemplify extraordinary service to students and the community.

The PEP Rally is made possible through the generous support of title sponsor Tennessee Rural Development Fund, along with Averitt Express and First National Bank of Tennessee.

There are limited seats still available for those who wish to attend. More information about the event, as well as the work of the PEP Foundation, can be found at the link below. Community members are encouraged to RSVP or consider supporting the Foundation’s mission by donating online at http://www.peptn.org/rally

03/18/2026

📣TNRDF is our 2026 PEP Rally— 🏆CHAMPION LEVEL🏆—TITLE SPONSOR! 📣

Thank you to the for their support and investment in the work of the PEP Foundation.

💛❤️💙We’re incredibly thankful you are on our team! 💙❤️💛

03/11/2026

📖👩‍🍳🐾In November, we visited Cane Creek at their annual Thanksgiving Lunch for students and families. 👩‍🍳📖🐾

We had one class of students that made their way to our table, but we didn’t have enough cookbooks for all of them with us.

The promise was made that we would come back to visit their whole class!

That finally happened this week 🤩

Grace spent a morning this week with Mrs. Malone’s class, sharing how to use the book, talking about the ways they can help parents in the kitchen, and discussing important things to talk to their parents about!

The kids were so excited to get their books, can’t wait to see what these little chefs👩‍🍳 in the kitchen!