Do Good, Feel Good … Volunteer!
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a huge supporter of keeping the arts in public schools. My life is a reflection of being exposed to art and music from grade school through my college years. Reduced funding for the arts is becoming all too common, leaving schools with tough decisions to make – fundraise privately to keep the programs, or cut them all together?
Often not recognized are the effects that art, music, and theatre education have on students’ academics. There have been multitudes of surveys and studies (most conducted by The Arts Education Partnership and Americans for the Arts) that prove arts education positively influences classroom academics.
About five months ago, I became involved as a Volunteer with the Annapolis Parks and Recreation Department’s afterschool program at Eastport Elementary School near Quintain Marketing’s headquarters in Annapolis, Maryland. Every Wednesday, we’d spend time with the kids in the program working on projects – ranging from coffee filter flowers in pots for Mother’s Day, to paper airplanes modeled after the Blue Angels’ Boeing F/A -18 Hornets (in honor of Naval Academy Commissioning Week).
It’s been a win-win situation because I enjoy coming up with ideas for projects and seeing how the kids take those ideas and run with them, while the kids love creating artwork. Volunteering has been a refreshing way to break up the work day. I’ve found that taking a break from the office for an hour or so to volunteer really helps me refocus on my work.
I’m also very fortunate to work for a company that allows employees paid time off to give back to our community. I’m even more thankful that, this year when a local corporation turned down the opportunity, Quintain Marketing stepped in to sponsor the Afterschool Program’s end of the year party. At the pirate-themed party the kids decorated t-shirts, played pirate charades, and did other fun activities. The kids also created pirate scene murals that we hung up around the classroom for decoration. It was a great way to wrap up the school year and a great way for my company to contribute to the community! And check out the fantastic thank you cards that the kids made for me (for volunteering) and for Quintain Marketing (for sponsoring the party)!
I also want to take the opportunity to note that Eastport Elementary is a fully-funded Title 1 School that has overcome major redistricting and administration changes in the past few years. Without the great administration and staff, Eastport may have ended up as a school lacking arts programs. But thankfully, this is not the case and as soon as you walk into the building, you will notice that the arts are all alive and well at Eastport Elementary. At a recent volunteer appreciation event held by the school, each class performed a song, dance, or made artwork as a ‘thank you’ to the volunteers (including myself). It was truly a magnificent production and was enjoyed not only by the volunteers, but the students as well.
My advice to everyone is to get involved in your community and volunteer. Whether you teach something you love or lend a helping hand, you’ll make a difference (even if you don’t realize it)!