2008 Woodie Awards
Volunteers help build bikes with local children
Courtney Perlee
Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: News
Sacred Heart's main campus was still quiet at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, but the University Commons was busy with adults, university and high school students brought together for one cause: to reward six Bridgeport elementary school students for excellence in the classroom.
The GE Foundation Scholars (a division of General Electric) and other volunteers got together with children from John Winthrop Elementary School to build bicycles and use teamwork skills simultaneously. At the end of the event, the six children who were chosen for their academic achievement were given the bicycles they helped assemble.
"The students are carrying on the mission of community service while underscoring the importance of academics," said Virginia Stephens, director of GE Foundation Scholar Program.
Before assembling the bicycles, the volunteers and students were divided into six groups of four to six.
"The event focuses on building relationships with others. We are often thrown into teams that are very diverse," said Stephens.
In those groups, students and scholars competed against each other in various exercises which emphasized communication and problem solving.
Kenya Rutland of KJR Consulting led the group in these activities, which he called "co-opertitions," emphasizing co-operation along with competition.
Senior Sarah Menard, a GE Scholar, liked the emphasis placed on communication and teamwork.
This was Menards second time participating in a bike build she said.
"It's such an interactive day, and you're bringing students together from different places: high school, Sacred Heart, elementary schools. Plus, the kids leave today with a bike, and that's great," said Menard.
There was a bike technician on hand to check the bicycles before each student left, to insure that each group assembled the bicycles completely and correctly. Students also received helmets and bike locks along with the bicycles.
According to Program Director Virginia Stephens, the idea for a bicycle build came from Kenya Rutland, who has been involved in other bicycle builds in the past.
"This is all about achievement," said Rutland of the program.
"You might say its charity, but they've worked hard for it," said Rutland who viewed the bicycles as a reward for the hard work put into their school work and attitudes at school.
Among the students who were recipients was fourth grader Brittney Scarpone who originally was supposed to receive a bicycle but since she already had one decided to pass up the bike so a classmate could receive the bicycle.
"You really want to reward that kind of generosity," said Stephens.
The other five children who received bicycles were in the third through eighth grades.
"This was something they'll never forget-your bike is such an important memory from your childhood," said Menard.
The GE Foundation Scholars (a division of General Electric) and other volunteers got together with children from John Winthrop Elementary School to build bicycles and use teamwork skills simultaneously. At the end of the event, the six children who were chosen for their academic achievement were given the bicycles they helped assemble.
"The students are carrying on the mission of community service while underscoring the importance of academics," said Virginia Stephens, director of GE Foundation Scholar Program.
Before assembling the bicycles, the volunteers and students were divided into six groups of four to six.
"The event focuses on building relationships with others. We are often thrown into teams that are very diverse," said Stephens.
In those groups, students and scholars competed against each other in various exercises which emphasized communication and problem solving.
Kenya Rutland of KJR Consulting led the group in these activities, which he called "co-opertitions," emphasizing co-operation along with competition.
Senior Sarah Menard, a GE Scholar, liked the emphasis placed on communication and teamwork.
This was Menards second time participating in a bike build she said.
"It's such an interactive day, and you're bringing students together from different places: high school, Sacred Heart, elementary schools. Plus, the kids leave today with a bike, and that's great," said Menard.
There was a bike technician on hand to check the bicycles before each student left, to insure that each group assembled the bicycles completely and correctly. Students also received helmets and bike locks along with the bicycles.
According to Program Director Virginia Stephens, the idea for a bicycle build came from Kenya Rutland, who has been involved in other bicycle builds in the past.
"This is all about achievement," said Rutland of the program.
"You might say its charity, but they've worked hard for it," said Rutland who viewed the bicycles as a reward for the hard work put into their school work and attitudes at school.
Among the students who were recipients was fourth grader Brittney Scarpone who originally was supposed to receive a bicycle but since she already had one decided to pass up the bike so a classmate could receive the bicycle.
"You really want to reward that kind of generosity," said Stephens.
The other five children who received bicycles were in the third through eighth grades.
"This was something they'll never forget-your bike is such an important memory from your childhood," said Menard.
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