Two GCS Schools Win Lead 360 Challenge
In March, the Greenville Youth Commission sponsored the LEAD360 Challenge – one of America’s largest youth-based public service challenges – to encourage youth (ages 5–25), as well as schools, clubs and other youth organizations that are doing great things in the Greenville community, to submit their “big ideas” and community projects for a chance to be recognized locally and compete nationally. The Lead360 Challenge was launched nationwide by the Jefferson Awards and partners in September 2010, and the focus of Lead360 is to recognize outstanding youth service projects that help make the world a better place. Project categories include Education, Environment, Community, Hunger, Elder, Youth, Health, Animal and Peace.
The winning projects engaged more than 1,300 volunteers, contributed nearly 500 hours of service and impacted the lives of more than 1,000 citizens in the Greenville area. Below are brief descriptions of the winning projects:
Tooth Tales - Students in the Early Childhood Education class at Golden Strip Career Technology Center partnered with Bon Secours St. Francis Health System to teach dental hygiene to elementary school children in grades K4 - 3rd grade. Using puppets, games, songs and stories, they taught approximately 600 children how to take care of their teeth and what to expect at the dentist. The Career Development class at Golden Strip Career Technology Center also helped by stuffing the giveaway bags that were provided to the children at the schools they visited.
Blanket Blast - Blanket Blast was an opportunity for Buena Vista Elementary School to help homeless children and adults in Greenville and Pickens Counties. Due to the extreme temperatures this winter, they collected blankets and stuffed animals to distribute through Miracle Hill Ministries. Their goal was to collect 100 blankets and 50 stuffed animals, but with the support of their student council, PTA and School Improvement Council, who helped promote the campaign, they collected more than 350 items (the majority were blankets), which took two truckloads to deliver.
About the Greenville Youth Commission:
The Greenville Youth Commission is an official commission of the City of Greenville and is comprised of high school and college students (up to age 21). The purpose of the commission is to advise City Council, the City Manager and other City staff to ensure that Greenville youth are involved in the City's comprehensive planning, to increase communication between the city's adults and youth and to ensure that the youth in the community are an integral part of government decision making.
About the Jefferson Awards:
The Jefferson Awards for Public Service was founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Senator Robert Taft, Jr. and Sam Beard to create a Nobel Prize for public and community service. The mission of the Jefferson Awards is to recognize, inspire and activate volunteerism and public service – in communities through our Media Partners, in the workplace through our Champions, and in schools through our Youth Service Initiatives.