Community service and technological design are two important aspects of Environmental and Spatial Technology classes, and Mount Vernon-Enola High School students have combined the two in a way that will be remembered for years to come.
During the school year, the students in Vickey Johnson's EAST class were looking for a project to benefit the community and Mount Vernon Mayor Anne Armstrong suggested an updated image for the city.
"The mayor said she'd been wanting a seal for the city of Mount Vernon, and I said we can do that... and we did," Johnson said.
Eric Hodge, who graduated in May, was named winner and was the recipient of a $25 savings bond from the city, Johnson said.
"They took the picture he created and put it in their newsletter and everything and the mayor liked the idea so much, she decided to have a flag contest that goes along with it," Johnson said. "All of the students have a different way of looking at things, so Mayor Armstrong has options from one end of the gamut to the other."
The students have submitted a range of flag designs to City Hall that all include the colors yellow, green and black, and, according to Johnson, the mayor will make her final design at Monday night's council meeting.
Although only one student's design will be chosen for this particular project, Johnson said being recognized by community leaders makes all of her students feel important.
"I think it makes them realize they can do things in school that are important and worthwhile," Johnson said. "We've had a lot of contests, like program design, and T-shirt design, and when a student's design wins, that student gets to see it and say, 'Wow, look what I did.' It lets them realize they can do whatever they set their minds to and it gets rid of those boundaries students can sometimes have."
At an age when many students can feel overlooked, Johnson said it is good to include the teenagers in activities that show off their talents to all areas of the community.
To accomplish this, the students not only participate in design projects for the benefit of the community, they also offer help by teaching technology to the older generation, according to Mayor Armstrong.
"Our senior citizens group goes in every Monday for one lesson during the school year and the kids are very patient with us," she said. "They teach us about cell phones, cameras, the Internet and Google World you name it, they'll teach it. Anything we can come up with, they'll help."
Armstrong said the students even print out notes for the senior citizens to take home and review so they can review what they've been taught from week to week.
"I think it's great, and the equipment they have out there is marvelous," Armstrong said "And it gives them a sense of getting to know the older generation a little bit better besides Grandma."
According to Armstrong, the group cannot wait for the school year to begin in the fall so they can learn more about the growing world of technology.
"Everybody's taking a break, and we're just hoping we can remember everything when school starts again," Armstrong said with a laugh.
The students in Johnson's class range from eighth-graders to seniors and many students have taken the class more than once. She said the first project the students will focus on during the 2008-09 school year will be redesigning the courtyard area on campus with a $4,900 grant the class received from Lowe's.
(Staff writer Jessica Bauer can be reached by e-mail at jessica.bauer@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1236. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to www.thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
