A group of Glenville State College students under the direction of GSC Hidden Promise Consortium and Community Engagement Coordinator Keith Barr traveled to Webster County on Saturday, May 2nd for a Community service project. Together with eight residents of the Diana community, the crew from GSC helped construct a walking path on the grounds of the Diana Elementary School. The project was organized by teacher Dave Nutter. The fifteen volunteers spent the day laying plastic, spreading gravel, and building a rock foot bridge for the approximately one half mile walking trail. The trail will be used by students at the school as well as the community. The materials for the project were purchased through a community fitness grant arranged by State Senator Randy White. âWe are very appreciative of the help we received from the Glenville State College students. They worked very hard and interacted well with our local volunteers. We just couldnât be happier with how the project went,â said Nutter. âThe GSC students even suggested doing another project to build a shelter along the trail. We are going to look into making that happen,â he added.
The participating students from GSC are all Hidden Promise mentors and included Jamie Collins, Michael Harden, and Jamie Mullins. Plus four members of the Pioneer football team that won the 2009 WVIAC Championship: Wes Hanson, Nathaniel Threatts, Marcel Lazenby, and Terrell Parker.
Similar community service projects are being coordinated by GSC in each of the fifteen West Virginia counties and the City Schools of Belpre, Ohio that are participating in the Glenville State College Hidden Promise Consortium. This alliance was initiated by Glenville State College President Dr. Peter Barr to help unlock the regionâs hidden promise. The program strives to improve the number of quality high school graduates, raise ACT scores, increase the number of students going to college and increase the number and quality of college graduates by having K-12 and higher education officials work together on these educational goals.
âCommunity service is an important aspect of our Hidden Promise Program. We are trying to give these students a broad educational foundation on which they can build a successful future and encourage our Hidden Promise Scholars to give back to their communities,â said Keith Barr.
Local residents and businesses with community service project ideas for Glenville State College students may submit them to Keith Barr at keith.barr@glenville.edu or by calling him at 462-7361 ext. 7186.
