Volunteer work always leaves you feeling good about yourself
and your community, but it is all the more sweet when that work is given
statewide recognition and earns you a Gold Banner for achievement.
and your community, but it is all the more sweet when that work is given
statewide recognition and earns you a Gold Banner for achievement.
At the annual Students in Action Jefferson Awards for Indianapolis, Ind., and
the surrounding region hosted on April 11, 2012, a team of students from the Simon Youth
Clark Pleasant
Academy placed second
overall and earned a Gold Banner for the volunteer work they provided through
the course of the academic year. Students in Action uses its Jefferson Awards
to promote and celebrate high school students’ community volunteerism.
the surrounding region hosted on April 11, 2012, a team of students from the Simon Youth
Clark Pleasant
Academy placed second
overall and earned a Gold Banner for the volunteer work they provided through
the course of the academic year. Students in Action uses its Jefferson Awards
to promote and celebrate high school students’ community volunteerism.
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| The Academy team with its Gold Banner award. From left to right: Columbare, Gosnell, Burton, McKinney, Jones, Fabian, Potter, and Lowe. |
“This was the Academy’s first year competing,” says Kara Larkin,
the lead teacher at the Academy. “We came up a single point short of winning the
Indianapolis
region, but we are so proud of our students for placing so highly in their
first time entering.”
the lead teacher at the Academy. “We came up a single point short of winning the
Indianapolis
region, but we are so proud of our students for placing so highly in their
first time entering.”
The Academy team’s volunteer projects centered on the theme of
I Went Without, and at the
competition, the students were judged on a presentation of the work they’d done
as well as reports they submitted.
I Went Without, and at the
competition, the students were judged on a presentation of the work they’d done
as well as reports they submitted.
One of the projects talked about in their competition
presentation, the Clark Pleasant team participated in A Day Without Shoes, going barefoot to raise awareness for homeless and other in-need community members who don’t have access to new or well-fitting shoes.
presentation, the Clark Pleasant team participated in A Day Without Shoes, going barefoot to raise awareness for homeless and other in-need community members who don’t have access to new or well-fitting shoes.
The students wrote and secured a grant for $300 and
collected another $750 from community sponsors to print off t-shirts and
wristbands for the day. The awareness items were sold to residents, raising
another $500.
collected another $750 from community sponsors to print off t-shirts and
wristbands for the day. The awareness items were sold to residents, raising
another $500.
After expenses for printing the shirts and wristbands, the
students were able to donate nearly $800 to the Kids In Crisis Intervention Team, a Johnson County charity that serves homeless youth, providing among other essentials shoes and clothing to its clients.
students were able to donate nearly $800 to the Kids In Crisis Intervention Team, a Johnson County charity that serves homeless youth, providing among other essentials shoes and clothing to its clients.
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| The team at the competition podium |
“The competition was a great experience for all of us and a
lot of fun,” says Travis Burton one of the student team leaders. “But this was
really about the service and taking your abilities to help out other people.”
The Students in Action Jefferson Awards team members from
the Academy were Travis Burton, a student leader, Auston McKinney, a student
leader, and Chris Columbare, Emily Gosnell, Alex Jones, Ruth Fabian, Christian
Potter, and Kayla Lowe.
the Academy were Travis Burton, a student leader, Auston McKinney, a student
leader, and Chris Columbare, Emily Gosnell, Alex Jones, Ruth Fabian, Christian
Potter, and Kayla Lowe.
The school that won the competition to be named the
Indianapolis Recipient For Outstanding Service By a High School was Shortridge Magnet High School
for Law and Public Policy, which goes on to participate in the
Jefferson Awards national competition later this year.
Indianapolis Recipient For Outstanding Service By a High School was Shortridge Magnet High School
for Law and Public Policy, which goes on to participate in the
Jefferson Awards national competition later this year.
The Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy operates in partnership between Simon Youth Foundation and the Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation.
