A sharecropper's son who never had the chance to go to school is now learning to read and write alongside his first-grade classmates, thanks to an assist from Smithfield Foods' Learners to Leaders program.

During a guest appearance on a nationally televised talk show, Alferd Williams, 70, of St. Joseph, Missouri, was presented a $10,000 check from the Smithfield-Luter Foundation, which funds the company's Learners to Leaders program. The donation, which will be used to offset Williams' living expenses, was made to a trust fund administered by Edison Elementary School, where Williams is attending first-grade classes.

In addition, Smithfield Foods presented a check for $2,500 to purchase books for the school's library.

"Alferd Williams sets a great example of what our Learners to Leaders program is all about," said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods. "We were greatly touched by Alferd's story, and we are delighted to be able to help him get the education that he has always wanted but was unable to pursue until recently."

Williams, who was featured in a recent People magazine article, was the fourth of nine children and at the age of eight began helping his sharecropper father pick cotton, corn, potatoes and cabbage in the fields near Eudora, Ark. He never attended school, but promised his mother years ago that he would someday learn to read and write.

He finally began making good on his promise in 2005, when he started receiving special instruction from Alesia Hamilton, a teacher at Edison Elementary School. Eventually, Hamilton persuaded her principal to allow Williams to regularly attend her first-grade class, and his dedication and perseverance has served as an inspiration to his classmates ever since.

Learners to Leaders is a national educational alliance funded by Smithfield Foods' Smithfield-Luter Foundation and made up of Smithfield's independent operating companies and local educational partners. The alliance's goal is to help reinforce what organizers believe is the most critical part of any community's foundation, the education of its youth. Several Learners to Leaders programs have been launched in school districts around the country, but the effort in St. Joseph is the first one to be awarded to an adult recipient.

"We are firm believers that education is a key ingredient in strengthening communities and helping shape tomorrow's leaders," said Dennis Treacy, vice president of environmental and corporate affairs for Smithfield Foods. "Learners to Leaders provides a helping hand to people that allows them to overcome challenges to advancing their education, whether those challenges are academic, social or economic."

Smithfield Foods, Inc., The Smithfield Packing Company, Robeson Community College and the Public Schools of Robeson County joined forces on Wednesday to help prepare economically disadvantaged Lumberton-area high school students for college.

The Smithfield Foods Learners to Leaders(TM) program will fund a student development program for ninth through 12th graders at Lumberton area high schools starting with the 2008-09 academic year.

Officials from Smithfield Foods and its subsidiary, The Smithfield Packing Company, presented a check for nearly $75,000 to the Robeson Community College Foundation Wednesday evening during a reception at the Pinecrest Country Club.

"We have always been firm believers in giving back to our communities," said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods. "We can think of no better way of bringing this commitment to life than helping Lumberton students benefit from opportunities to both develop their leadership skills and improve academically."

The Learners to Leaders program in Lumberton is open to economically disadvantaged students and potential first-generation college students who will receive academic and social support. Students who complete the program and subsequently enroll at Robeson Community College will receive a $1,000 scholarship for tuition and expenses and up to $500 for books.

As part of the Lumberton Learners to Leaders program, students also will:

• Receive laptop computers and Internet access to complete school assignments and do research for special projects.
• Work with a "virtual mentor." These will include local business professionals who provide the benefit of regular contact.
• Experience the real world of business and industry by taking guided field trips to nearby businesses.
• Attend quarterly leadership seminars covering topics such as small business, industry, government service, higher education, time management skills, good study habits and public speaking.

The Smithfield Foods Learners to Leaders alliance is an invaluable tool to help Robeson County students fulfill their potential by properly preparing them for the rigors of higher education," said Ericka Jones, foundation director for Robeson Community College. "We're delighted that Smithfield Foods and Smithfield Packing are joining us in this worthwhile partnership."

With eight programs in place since launching in 2006, Learners to Leaders is a national educational alliance that strengthens communities by providing individuals with learning opportunities that inspire them to become tomorrow's leaders. The alliance's goal is to help reinforce what organizers believe is the most critical part of any community's foundation, the education of its residents. Learners to Leaders is funded by the Smithfield-Luter Foundation and is made up of Smithfield Foods, its local operating companies and local educational partners.

"We're excited about bringing this unique program to Lumberton because Smithfield Packing is always looking for ways to help local students get the extra boost they need to advance their educational pursuits beyond high school," said Tim Schellpeper, president of Smithfield Packing. "In a few years the community will greatly benefit from their leadership skills."

Smithfield Foods and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) launched a program in April that promotes environmental education for elementary school students in the state's economically disadvantaged areas.

The $25,000 that Smithfield Foods' Learners to Leaders educational alliance donated will benefit the Foundation for Virginia's Natural Resources (FVNR) and the DEQ's Virginia Office of Environmental Education. The donation will help fund a state program that raises students' awareness of Virginia's natural resources and teaches them about environmental stewardship. About half of the Learners to Leaders funding has been designated for professional development of elementary school teachers.

The donation was announced in April during the Environment Virginia 2008 Conference in Lexington.

"We're gratified that Smithfield Foods places such a high priority on promoting environmental education for Virginia's grade school students and helping prepare our teachers," said Jay Gilliam, chair of the FVNR. "It's so critical that we teach these stewardship concepts as early as possible."

FVNR is a nonregulatory philanthropic organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life through the conservation of the state's natural resources. The Virginia Office of Environmental Education is Virginia's clearinghouse for environmental education and information.

"As a company, we take our environmental stewardship responsibilities and education of our communities' youth very seriously," said Dennis Treacy, vice president of environmental and corporate affairs at Smithfield Foods. "Teaching our state's young people about the importance of being good environmental stewards seems an obvious way to make sure future generations can enjoy the beauty around us."

Founded in 2006, Learners to Leaders strengthens communities by providing individuals with learning opportunities that inspire them to become tomorrow's leaders. The alliance's goal is to help reinforce what organizers believe is the most critical part of any community's foundation, the education of its residents. Learners to Leaders is funded by the Smithfield-Luter Foundation and is made up of Smithfield Foods, its independent operating companies and local community and educational partners.

"It is so important that we provide quality environmental education programs that teach our young people the importance of preserving Virginia's natural resources and engage them in meaningful conservation activities," said Ann Regn, director of the Virginia Office of Environmental Education. "The Learners to Leaders alliance will help accomplish that goal by funding a very worthwhile state program."

-Thirty-three Sioux Falls graduating high school seniors from Lincoln, Washington, Roosevelt and Joe Foss high schools were honored in May as the first Learners to Leaders class to obtain their high school diploma while also completing 20 credits at Southeast Technical Institute (STI).

-Ten eighth grade students from Denison Middle School celebrated the completion of the first part of the Learners to Leaders/Science Bound program by putting on a demonstration of solar-powered mini-cars they created during the past school year. The students have been taking classes and engaged in projects that will prepare them to pursue science- or mathematics-related college degrees.

-More than 300 high school students in Green Bay participated in the 5th Annual Leadership Conference at Kaukauna High School on April 4-5. The two-day event, which included workshops designed to teach students life lessons and skills ranging from how to apply for college and financial assistance to managing a budget and credit cards in college, was sponsored by Smithfield Foods and Learners to Leaders.