Please note: The painting class in Spotsylvania taught by Lynn Murphy will be held at Massaponax High School.

VCU community helps elementary school students prepare for a new school year
Mike Porter
VCU Communications and Public Relations
(804) 828-7037
mrporter@vcu.edu
8/25/2008

The Virginia Commonwealth University community is helping elementary school students in surrounding neighborhoods enjoy a strong start to the new school year.

For the first time, VCU’s Welcome Week activities included a university-wide school supply drive.

“We wanted to come up with a service project the entire VCU community could be part of,” said Meredith Schram, Welcome Week chair. “Anybody can participate. It’s not cost-prohibitive,” Schram said.

School supply donation boxes have been placed in residence halls and other “high traffic” university buildings. Organizers hope students, faculty and staff members will fill the boxes with pens, pencils, notebooks, binders, paper, rulers and other basic school supplies.

“Many of the schools start the year with a deficit, because some parents can’t afford to buy the basic supplies their children need,” said Ronald Brown, community development coordinator/liaison of the Carver-VCU Partnership. “This effort helps the students start the school year with what they need so the learning process is a positive,” Brown said.

The Welcome Week school supply drive began Aug, 16 and continues through Sept. 5. Volunteers will then sort through the donations and deliver the supplies to Carver and Maymont elementary schools in Richmond.

“And actually, we’re hoping we get so many contributions that we’ll be able to share any extras with other area schools,” Schram said.

While many in the VCU community are donating supplies, others are donating their time.

VCU staff members and students participated in the YMCA of Greater Richmond’s “Bright Beginnings” program, accompanying students from Carver Elementary School on a shopping trip to buy clothes for the school year.

On a recent trip to the Mechanicsville Target store, 30 Students from Carver Elementary were paired with adults who helped them shop for two school outfits, shoes, underwear, a jacket and shoes. Each student could spend up to $100. They carried calculators to carefully track the costs.

“This is a great way to give back to the kids,” said Stephanie Jones, a VCU senior majoring in accounting. “I remember how excited I was shopping for school. And I can see how excited the children are here today.”

Jones plans eventually to become a teacher. Her work with Carver Promise has allowed her to form close bonds with children in their classrooms.

“I usually see the students in school, so it’s fun to be doing something with them outside,” Jones said.

VCU’s efforts to interact with the community are coordinated through the Division of Community Engagement.

For the official VCU News Center story online, see http://www.news.vcu.edu/vcu_view/pages.aspx?nid=2605

The Fall 2008 Off-Campus Graduate Art schedule has been posted. Click here to view the Fall 2008 Off-Campus Graduate Art schedule.

Pre-registration is now open.

As part of VCU’s 40th Anniversary Celebration, the University will be highlighting its long-standing commitment to community engagement. The 40 Acts of Caring initiative will spotlight examples of VCU’s past, present and future partnerships that have contributed to the well-being of communities. These examples will appear on the University website and in other Anniversary publications throughout the year. Please help the 40 Acts of Caring Committee pay tribute to and celebrate the community engagement initiatives that you know about by completing this form to describe partnership projects in which you have participated and by sharing this form with others in your Unit.

Broadly, an Act of Caring is any project, activity or initiative that partners VCU employees, students or alumni with local, regional or national/international communities. During the activity, VCU participants must be representing the University rather than acting as private citizens. Some examples of Acts of Caring include volunteer and community-service projects, service-learning academic course initiatives, community-based research, etc.

Anyone may nominate an Act of Caring. Deadline for nominations is Monday, September 8, 2008. Click here to download the 40 Acts of Caring Nomination Form

Introduction to Conversational Spanish I, II and III and Spanish for Health Care Providers I, II and III will be offered this semester for faculty and staff from the week of August 20, through the week of December 15th. To register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/it/ and enter the keyword "Spanish." Tuition Waivers or Tuition Assistance may be used by those who qualify. Tuition assistance programs may not be applied to the tuition for these courses if the participant is already using the maximum allowable assistance within the current semester. Participants should check with their department or office to determine eligibility.

For more information, or to be placed on the mailing list, contact Anna Jones at ajones47@vcu.edu or 828-8831.

Mike Porter
VCU Communications and Public Relations
(804) 828-7037
mrporter@vcu.edu

6/18/2008

A bus pulls up to the intersection of Cary and Linden streets and 20 children quickly step off, one by one. It’s hard for them to control their excitement as they walk down the sidewalk and enter the Mary and Frances Youth Center, where another day of Lobs & Lessons summer camp is about to begin.

Lobs & Lessons, offered by VCU’s Division of Community Engagement, began as an after-school program in 2004 to reach out to disadvantaged children in the Richmond area, promoting education and life skills through mentoring, tutoring and teaching tennis.

The opening of the Mary and Frances Youth Center last September allowed Lobs & Lessons to offer its first summer camp through partnerships with the Boys and Girls Club, Northside YMCA and William Byrd Community House. About 100 children, ages 6 to 13, will participate in camps in June and July.

“A full-blown summer camp is a big experience for our program,” said Kathleen Bowles, Lobs & Lessons program director. “It allows us to branch out and flex our muscles in terms of what we can do for the community.”

In addition to offering tennis lessons, staff and volunteers will teach participants how to get along with others, control their emotions and practice healthy lifestyle habits. They’ll also be taught about the value of a college education and the importance of saving money.

Participants will tour VCU buildings, check out art exhibits, swim and play soccer. Volleyball coach James Finley is allowing 20 of the children to participate free in a three-day volleyball camp in July.

“We want to spend a lot of time with the kids as their friends and mentors,” Bowles said. “We’ll be watching their personal confidence, making sure they are open to new things and monitoring their behavior throughout the summer. It’s going to be a great experience for them and a rewarding experience for us.”

For this news story and pictures, please see the following VCU News Center link:
http://www.news.vcu.edu/vcu_view/pages.aspx?nid=2549