Student Wea, Community Renovate Portage School

Lewiston Elementary near Portage got a face lift Sunday (April 14, 2002). Approximately 100 Student WEA members, community volunteers, WEAC members and Lewiston staff spent the day painting and repairing the small rural school.

Last October, the school was awarded Student WEA's Outreach to Teach grant, which provides money and manpower for schools in need of resources. Lewiston is the fourth school to receive the grant.

The program is partly funded by the NEA as part of the CLASS grant, which is earmarked for local association and community outreach. The rest of the money comes from the Student WEA budget.

The Student WEA is comprised of college students from throughout the state who are studying to be educators. The goal of the Outreach to Teach program is to inform WEAC members and the public about the need for increased funding for public schools and the negative impacts of revenue controls.

Over the last several months, Student WEA leaders and Lewiston staff created a "wish list" in order to prioritize the renovation projects. The list included interior painting, installation of new playground equipment and lockers, and landscaping.

Some enthusiastic volunteers began work on the school a day early. Student WEA Treasurer Emily Shier arrived at Lewiston to find that many of the planned projects had already been completed. "I almost had a heart attack," she said. "We're able to do so much more for the school than we'd planned."

With the extra resources and time, volunteers decided to repaint the exterior of the school.

Weigand said that Lewiston's Parent Teach Organization was instrumental in making the day a success. "The PTO met us at the school with a pancake breakfast," she said. "They're also providing lunch."

PTO members spent months raising $12,000 that was used to purchase new playground equipment. Previously, the playground equipment sat on top of mounds of woodchips. Volunteers replaced those woodchips with sand, a safer alternative for students.

Shier said that Lewiston students were the most excited about the installation of 90 lockers in the school's hallways. "All they had before were cubby holes in some classrooms, so there really wasn't a place for personal belongings," she said. "They can't wait to have the lockers. Some of the kids already asked if they could hang pictures of their friends on the locker doors."

WEAC-Retired member Bob Henning and his wife, NEA ESP At Large member Yvonne Henning, built bird houses for the new prairie and wildflower area behind the school. They also built extra bird houses to be sold as a fundraising effort. "We wanted the school to have more income after our part was over," Shier said.

Student WEA President Jill Hassenfelt was proud of what was accomplished at Lewiston. "Our members are getting the chance to see what's really going on in the classroom," she said. "We're doing something that will help these kids to continue to have a great school.

"I can't wait to see the kids' faces when they see our progress."

Posted April 15, 2002