Outreach to Teach 2001
Elmore Elementary School
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Outreach to Teach is an excellent way for future teachers to see the importance of community, ESP, teachers, administration, and the Association all working together to achieve great schools. It simply can’t happen without everybody’s help. The third annual Outreach to Teach was extremely successful. On March 31st and April 1st, 150 future teachers worked together with community members in an effort to brighten up Elmore Elementary School, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Although the gymnasium was in good shape and usable, the cold white walls left little to look at. Student WEA members brightened the gymnasium by painting the school’s mascot, the Elmore Eagle, on two of the walls. Elmore Eagles also graced the hallways and the doors of every classroom. Inspirational phrases and murals were also painted on hallway walls, and bulletin boards and buttons were made. Student members also worked with the school’s reading program to get them ahead for next year.
We believe that Student WEA’s Outreach to Teach project is necessary to inform the members and the public about the need for increased funding to our public schools. For example, combining contributions, supplies, planning time, lodging and food for workers, and labor, the estimated cost of Elmore’s “face-lift” was a grand total of $33,420. If a similar project were completed for just one school in every district in Wisconsin, the grand total for all 426 districts would be $14,577,720. Keep in mind, we only tackled minor repairs that our volunteers could handle. The outdated orange carpet in the library, the faded and ripped stage curtain, and the broken blinds were not even feasible projects, given the amount of time and money we had. Still, we felt we accomplished a lot and that the project was a huge success.
Elmore Elementary School, Green Bay, WI
Amy Mangan, 2001 Outreach toTeach Coordinator