Some of the most impactful learning experiences don't happen behind a desk.
For students in the Valdosta High School ENGAGE Club, one of those experiences was Youth Assembly, an opportunity to learn about government and civic engagement by experiencing it firsthand.
Through Youth Assembly, students have the opportunity to collaborate, develop leadership skills, build confidence and gain a greater understanding of their role in their community.
But opportunities beyond the traditional classroom often come with costs that aren't covered through a regular school budget.
For ENGAGE Club sponsor Eve Lawhorn, one of those needs was providing the dedicated chaperones necessary to ensure students had the supervision, guidance and support they needed while participating.
A grant from the VCS Foundation helped remove that financial barrier.
Removing Barriers to Opportunity
Lawhorn said the support allowed the club to focus on what mattered most: giving students the opportunity to participate.
“The VCS Foundation's support made it possible for the ENGAGE Club to provide chaperones for our students attending Youth Assembly. Having dedicated chaperones attend is essential to ensuring our students have the supervision, guidance and support they need while participating in this meaningful civic engagement experience.
Without the VCS Foundation's grant, the cost of sending chaperones may have limited our ability to provide the same level of support to our students. As a school club, we work hard to make opportunities like Youth Assembly accessible to our students, but travel and participation expenses can quickly add up. The VCS Foundation's support helped remove one of those barriers and allowed us to focus on what matters most, giving our students the opportunity to learn, lead, collaborate and experience government and civic engagement firsthand.
Having the VCS Foundation as a resource means so much to me as an educator because it allows us to provide opportunities that go beyond what we can accomplish through the regular school budget. The VCS Foundation recognizes that some of the most impactful learning happens outside the traditional classroom. Their willingness to invest in our students gives us the ability to create experiences that help students develop confidence, leadership skills, responsibility and a greater understanding of their role in their community. We are incredibly grateful for their belief in our students and in the importance of these experiences.”
Sometimes Support Looks Different
Throughout the BelieVe. GiVe. NeVer Quit. Employee Giving Campaign, the VCS Foundation has shared stories showing the many different forms support can take.
Sometimes it provides classroom resources.
Sometimes it helps a teacher turn a new idea into a student program.
Sometimes it provides a scholarship that follows a Wildcat beyond graduation.
And sometimes, it removes the barrier standing between a student and an opportunity.
Each story looks different, but they all begin the same way.
Someone chose to BelieVe.
Five Days Remain
The VCS Foundation Employee Giving Campaign ends Wednesday, September 30.
VCS employees who have been considering participating still have time to join their coworkers in supporting students, employees, classrooms, schools and opportunities throughout Valdosta City Schools.
A monthly gift doesn't have to fund an entire program on its own. When employees GiVe together, individual contributions combine to help make experiences like Youth Assembly possible.
💛 Monthly Payroll Deduction:
GiVe monthly through payroll deduction
🖤 One-Time Donation:
Make a one-time gift
Employees who prefer a traditional paper donation form may request one through the VCS Foundation.
Some of the most impactful learning happens outside the traditional classroom. And sometimes, all it takes is someone willing to help remove the barrier that gets a student there.
Because every opportunity begins with someone who BelieVed.
BelieVe. GiVe. NeVer Quit.