Few investments make more sense than improving the educational climate for young people. It's money spent that can pay dividends for a lifetime.

And a partnership between Gainesville Elementary School and Mar-Jac Poultry Inc. is an outstanding example of making life better in the community by helping children learn to achieve in the classroom.

The Hall County company, one of the major poultry firms in Northeast Georgia, recently provided Gainesville Elementary with a $18,480 grant to enable the school to provide help for students who are having difficulty with reading.

The grant, combined with money the school receives from the state for 20 days of additional instruction, permitted Gainesville Elementary to begin Saturday School, which gives struggling students a hand in developing reading skills.

Classes started last week with 100 volunteer students. Gainesville Elementary principal Shawn McCullough said he believes the all-day sessions will make a difference.

The program isn't designed to give the kids who attend Saturday School an edge over children who don't, he said.

"We are trying to level the playing field for the kids who are behind," McCullough said of the students attending the classes.

Six teachers are involved in the program at Gainesville Elementary, one of two new schools in the city system. The classes start at 7:30 a.m. and conclude at 2:15 p.m., with an emphasis on reading, language arts and math. The focus is on the approaching week's lessons.

"This is not a remediation program," said McCullough, who is in his first year with Gainesville City Schools. "We are trying to prepare these kids so they can get the information the first time it's presented in class."

The program, which is for first- through fifth-graders, will continue through the end of the third nine-week grading period. It then will be evaluated to determine if it's needed in the final grading period.

McCullough hopes that the Mar-Jac grant draws the attention of other community businesses, particularly poultry firms, which employ many workers whose children are school system students.

"They are the backbone of our community, but they need to be (financially) involved with the school systems," McCullough said.

He's absolutely right. But all local firms, not just those in the poultry business, stand to benefit from better-educated students.

While many businesses have entered into partnerships with schools, more can be done to help our children. And money isn't the only way to make a contribution. Consider volunteering as an adult tutor or perhaps think about becoming a Junior Achievement volunteer.

Just think of it as an investment in the future.