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PHILADELPHIA—More than 300 college students, teachers, retired educators, higher education faculty and education support professionals picked up shovels and dug in to give a needy, local school a much needed facelift on Tuesday.
"Together, we must invest in our students and our public schools to give every child the opportunity to succeed in school and in life." - Reg Weaver, NEA President |
The NEA Student Program’s Outreach to Teach descended on Gotwals Elementary School in Norristown, Pa., where NEA members grabbed hammers, shovels, brushes and mops to repair, landscape, paint, clean and decorate the school. Students from all over the country, including Wisconsin, participated.
The award-winning Outreach to Teach is celebrating 12 years of community service. Each year, a high-needs public school located in the host city of the NEA Annual Meeting is selected to receive a free makeover—thanks to hundreds of NEA volunteers.
“Ensuring every child’s basic right to a great public school starts with providing children with an environment that is conducive to learning ,” NEA President Reg Weaver said. “We are here today because students and school employees deserve to learn and work in clean and cheerful surroundings. Together, we must invest in our students and our public schools to give every child the opportunity to succeed in school and in life.”
Gotwals Elementary School was built in 1966 and is named for a former teacher, Joseph K. Gotwals, who taught in the schools from 1860 to 1872 and then was superintendent from 1872 to 1905. Currently there are 345 students. Gotwals has a poverty rate of approximately 90 percent with a diverse school population: 46 percent Hispanic, 51 percent Black and 3 percent Caucasian.
“We are so excited to have Gotwals Elementary chosen for the Outreach to Teach project,” said Maryanne Hoskins, principal of Gotwals. “It has brought such a sense of excitement, energy and renewal to our school. We are grateful that the NEA recognizes the importance of providing a safe, healthy and beautiful environment for students and teachers.”
Outreach to Teach began in 1996 as a beautification project to give back to schools. Past sites have included Orlando, New Orleans, Atlanta, Chicago, San Antonio, Dallas, Compton and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Since its inception, participation has increased by more than 1,000%.
“It is an awesome privilege to be a part of the Outreach to Teach program,” said Anthony Daniels, NEA Student Program chairman. “It brings me a tremendous amount of joy to know we are turning the page on schools that are unsafe and unhealthy. As a result, we are moving that much closer to fulfilling the pledge to provide every child with a quality education.”
“Watching our student and retired members working together for the common good makes me very proud to be a part of the NEA family,” said Barbara Matteson, NEA Retired Program chair. “Providing encouragement and support to our student members will help keep public education strong.”
Posted June 29, 2007