Athens, Ga. – Children enrolled in Coile Middle School and each of the 14 elementary schools in the Clarke County School District are reaping the benefits from PAWS for a CAUSE. School supply donations were collected during the recent community service project sponsored by the University of Georgia’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
“The students, families and faculty of Judia Jackson Harris Elementary are greatly appreciative of the school supplies provided by PAWS for a CAUSE,” said Xernona J. Thomas, principal of Clarke County’s newest school that opened August 6. “Students were very excited to have new school items to begin the year.”
The contributions made by incoming first-year students at UGA summer orientation sessions and by prospective students at Explore Georgia campus visitation events produced two large tubs of supplies for each school that were delivered prior to the first day of school.
“The university’s motto, ‘to teach, to serve and to inquire into the nature of things,’ inspired the idea for the service project, ” said Milly Legra, UGA’s associate director of admissions and director of new student orientation, who was looking for ways to expand the summer orientation program, which introduces incoming first-year students to campus life and the university community.
“It did not take long for us to agree on school supplies to benefit the Clarke County School District,” she explained. “As these new UGA students were preparing for a new school year, they could also help younger students do the same.”
In collaboration with the Clarke County School District, Legra and orientation staff members Lydia
Ghattas and Tino Johnson obtained school supply lists and profiles of the recipient schools. The admissions staff set up a web site, http://www.admissions.uga.edu/article/orientation_service_project.html, and designed a logo to promote the service project. Facebook Group and Twitter accounts also were set up to give daily updates on the project’s progress.
A kiosk was set up in the UGA Bookstore during the orientation sessions, displaying the PAWS for a CAUSE logo and the school supply wish list. Other admissions staff joined in and introduced PAWS for a CAUSE to prospective students and families during the eight Explore Georgia visitation programs held in June and July. PAWS for a CAUSE pins were given out to all service project participants.
“PAWS for a CAUSE goes a long way in helping provide school supplies to several Clarke County schools,” said Anisa Sullivan Jimenez, director of public relations and communications for the Clarke County School District. “We are very appreciative of both the generosity shown through supply donations, as well as the support shown from the University of Georgia for our public school system.”
The school supply contribution totals included 141 boxes of crayons, 390 spiral notebooks, 250 glue sticks, 216 packs of wide-ruled paper, 67 packs of college-ruled paper, 97 packs of colored pencils, 77 composition notebooks, 4,231 pencils, 271 folders and more.
“We are so pleased with the successful results of orientation’s first annual PAWS for a CAUSE project and the enthusiastic response of the students and families who participated,” said Nancy McDuff, UGA’s associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management. “The Admissions Office plans to continue this community service spirit during our fall invitational programs and daily information sessions by collecting canned goods for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia.”
