Education Notebook: Mercer students look to fund after-school program
Mercer University students in a service-learning course led by Creighton Rosental began a free after-school arts program in September for residents of the nearby Tindall Heights Homes.
Peach Place aims to provide a means of creative expression and exposure to the arts for children, ages 6-12, who otherwise might have few such opportunities. Daily art classes are led primarily by Mercer students, and in October, the program held an open house as part of the public housing project's fall festival, where well more than 100 children created personal works of art.
Peach Place was begun with a grant through the University's Research that Reaches Out Quality Enhancement Plan programming and the donation of rent-free space at the Hester Bivins Youth Center by the Macon Housing Authority.
The pilot grant will sustain Peach Place for a year, but organizers hope to raise additional funds to expand offerings and continue the program beyond the current academic year. They have launched a crowd-funding campaign seeking donations online.
The hope is that the donations will allow the program to take participants on field trips to experience the local arts scene, host arts events for residents of the community, provide healthy snacks for the after-school program, add programming in areas other than the visual arts, increase the number of children who are able to participate, and expand the program to other communities in need.
PERRY FCCLA HELPS PACK FOOD BOXES
Perry High's Family, Career, Community Leaders of America club members joined hands with Perry Volunteer Outreach to help pack boxes of food for families in Middle Georgia. Some were divided among food stations, including such items as flour, sugar, grits, canned vegetables, cake mix, oil, juice, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and rice, while other students pushed carts holding boxes to each station in order for them to be filled. The filled food boxes were unloaded into rows for families in the community to come pick up.
HOUSTON BOE EARNS STATE HONOR
The Houston County Board of Education was recognized by the Georgia School Boards Association as an Exemplary Board for its proven pursuit of excellence. Board members and the superintendent were recognized Dec. 4 at the 2015 GSBA and Georgia School Superintendents Association annual conference in Atlanta.
NORTHSIDE ELEMENTARY RECOGNIZED FOR STEM EFFORTS
Northside Elementary has been awarded science, technology, engineering and mathematics certification by the Georgia Department of Education. Northside Elementary is the first school in Middle Georgia -- and only the 14th elementary school in the state of Georgia -- to earn the designation.
A team from the Georgia Department of Education visited the school Dec. 15 to observe the school's STEM program. The visit began with business partners and parents sharing their involvement with the STEM journey, followed by classroom visits to talk with students. Over the past few years, Northside has implemented multiple STEM-related programs such as teacher collaboration with weekly STEM activities, Science Olympiad and the integration of the engineering design process into classroom instruction every day.
GEORGIA POWER SUPPORTS STEM VIDEO SERIES
Georgia Power recently announced its support of Georgia Public Broadcasting's two new, interactive in-classroom video series: Chemistry Matters and Physics Fundamentals. The company's support is part of a long-standing dedication to improving science, technology, engineering and math education in Georgia and includes a $500,000 donation by the Georgia Power Foundation.
The Chemistry Matters and Physics Fundamentals video series were created with a team of certified educators and align with the latest performance standards. Each video course will be available online at no cost for teachers to use in the classroom. The videos are designed to allow the instructor to pause the program and interact with students, engaging them in discussions, problem-solving and laboratory activities. The launch of the Chemistry Matters series is scheduled for the 2016-2017 school year, followed by Physics Fundamentals for the 2017-2018 school year.
Telegraph writer Jeremy Timmerman contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 20, 2015 at 9:52 PM with the headline "Education Notebook: Mercer students look to fund after-school program ."