A group called Friends of the Delta Blues Festival is seeking use of the Washington County Convention Center for an educational program.

The program introduces Delta students to the area’s blues heritage. It is part of the Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival.

“When we originally began in 1991, we took the program to the schools. But that became pretty hard, a job in itself,” said Richard Lovings, who’s with the festival’s support group.

He appeared Monday before the Washington County Board of Supervisors.

Lovings said the group decided four years ago to use the convention center as a central location. The program has taught more than 50,000 students about the blues over the past 15 years.

The educational event is Sept. 7-8, and the blues festival is Sept. 16.

On the Net:

Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival: http://www.deltablues.org