2008 Week of Service Projects

Culinary Students Host Dinner
for Families of Hospitalized Children
The Culinary Arts students at Central Campus in Des Moines, Iowa prepared dinner for the Ronald McDonald House as their National Week of Service project for Skills USA, reports advisor Elaine Wolf. The students prepared a salad bar, pasta with several sauces, bread sticks and a variety of cakes for dessert. The residents of the Ronald McDonald house were extremely happy to see a homemade meal when they returned from visiting their children in the hospital. Ronald McDonald Houses nationwide provide a home away from home for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.

Students Help Host Softball Tournament for District
Tuckerman High School in Tuckerman, Arkansas hosted their district softball and baseball tournament during the national week of service, reports advisor Angie McGee. Her students in the criminal justice program were in charge of parking the cars and the buses for the large tournament.

West Georgia College Members Support Blood Drive
The West Georgia Tech SkillsUSA student chapter sponsored a Red Cross Blood Drive on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 as part of their week of service activity. They had over 40 registered donors and collected 27 units of blood in five hours, reports chapter co-advisor Pamela Parmer. The members helped to distribute materials, set up and dismantle the room and assisted with the registration of the participants. This is one of three blood drives that are sponsored by the chapter each year.

The chapter also set up their college auditorium for a Georgia Young Writer's Club event on Sunday, May 4. A total of 10 SkillsUSA members plus co-advisor Jim Biagi participated in the event and were recognized for their service at the conference.

Finally, the chapter made a donation to the SkillsUSA high school chapters in Troup County to assist with costs for their upcoming competitions.

Oklahoma Students Clean Museum
Service Technology students at Northwest Technology Center in Alva, Oklahoma were involved in several volunteer activities the week of May 4_10, reports advisor Margaret Goss. The special needs students travelled to a nearby town and volunteered to clean the Newspaper Museum. At one time, there was a newspaper with presses and equipment. They spent an afternoon sweeping, cleaning, and polishing the dusty museum.

The students also established a garden area outside their classroom. They worked in the garden to prepare the site and then added plants. A raised bed garden has been added for students who are in a wheelchair so they may garden too.

The students prepared goodie bags for a Farm Safety Fair. Students went to the fair grounds and stuffed 120 goodie bags that were used for the 6th Grade Safety Fair, where students from all schools in the county attended to learn about safety.

The students also used their culinary skills to prepare cupcakes for Sophomore Tours. Students prepared cupcakes for the sophomores who come to Northwest Technology Center from area high schools. They are fed a nice lunch and have decorated cupcakes made by the Service Technology Class.

New York Chapter Holds Hygiene Class, Helps Special Needs Students Get Ready for Dance, and Assists at Blood Drive
The SkillsUSA chapter at the WE-MO-CO Career and Technical Education center in Spencerport, New York planned three community service events during the National Week of Service. On Thursday May 8 one cosmetology class did a follow up with the students they sponsored for a Breakfast with Santa in December. They invited the students back to teach them hygiene and give them makeovers. Thirteen economically disadvantaged students from the Liberty Life program in Albion came to Mrs. Chamber's cosmetology class. Seven SkillsUSA members taught them about personal hygiene. The Liberty Life students received pizza, cookies, and a lesson on how to keep their teeth and nails clean. They also got their hair washed, styled and their manicures.

On May 9, Mrs. Hunt's Cosmetology class helped special education students get ready for their dance. Every year BOCES sponsors a student ball for the special education students, similar to a high school prom. SkillsUSA students styled their hair and painted nails. On May 9, the SkillsUSA chapter also held their third blood drive of the year. SkillsUSA members went class to class and signed up students to donate, then worked the blood drive. They signed students in, gave them cookies and juice and monitored them to make sure they felt okay before leaving. A total of 51 pints of blood were collected.

Photos: SkillsUSA members helped with makeovers and taught hygiene.

Maine Students Help Ronald McDonald House
The SkillsUSA chapter at the Westbrook Regional Vocational Center in Westbrook, Maine supported their local Ronald McDonald House during SkillsUSA Week. The students made blankets for the home. Ronald McDonald Houses nationwide provide a home away from home for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. This year, the students also adopted a nursing home and made many monthly projects according to the needs of the residents.

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2007 Week of Service Projects

Lyman High School SkillsUSA Holds Locker Cleanout
SkillsUSA members at Lyman High School in Longwood, Florida performed their community service right on campus this year. They took charge and cleaned out 2,400 lockers at their school. All textbooks and library books were returned to the library, while other books were donated to local organizations. Four shopping carts were filled with clothing and shoes. The autistic class washed and dried the clothes and hung them up, which provided valuable practice in functional living skills. The school nurse will now be able to send students for replacement clothes if they have an accident or injury, which allows the student stay in school. The discipline office can ask students who have violated the dress code to locate a clothing replacement instead of receiving a discipline consequence, which cuts down on the number of in-school suspensions. Any clothing that can’t be used by students will be donated to the local Goodwill Thrift store. All school supplies that were gathered from the lockers will be given to students that are not able to afford supplies next school year. The SkillsUSA chapter had three teams of students conduct this event, which has become an annual program. “All the SkillsUSA members have a great time participating,” reports SkillsUSA advisor and automotive technology instructor Dave Moye. “The time spent together is a blast, and normally everyone is anxious to spend time together performing this community service.”

Dona Ana Community College Helps with Town Cleanup
SkillsUSA members in the building construction technology program at Dona Ana Community College in Las Cruces, New Mexico participated in a town clean up on the weekend of April 28. Working with various high schools and city personnel, the SkillsUSA students cleaned or improved various areas around the community. Projects included collecting 421 bags of trash, painting a mural at Alameda Elementary School, doing landscape work at the comer of Idaho and EI Paseo, and collecting and disposing of old tires. A total of 363 people participated in the events. “We were able to successfully accomplish this very needed clean up for our town,” said advisor Juan Reyes, who helped coordinate the projects.

West Georgia Technical College Sponsors Blood Drive
The West Georgia Technical College SkillsUSA Chapter in LaGrange, Georgia sponsored a May 9 blood drive on their campus, working with the American Red Cross. SkillsUSA members placed posters and sign up sheets in campus buildings to encourage students, staff and faculty to give blood. They also sent an email through the college system to alert enrolled students to the blood drive hours and the need for blood. Students assisted on the day of the drive with registration and directing donors to the donation area. They had a successful drive, with 39 units of blood donated. The West Georgia chapter has also been working with the Twin Cedars Youth facility to complete needed projects, such as building storage shelves. Each year, West Georgia conducts a coat drive for the local interfaith clothes closet and this year they collected 40 coats, reports chapter co-advisor Pamela Parmer.

Liberty Students Support Relay for Life
The Liberty Magnet Technology High School SkillsUSA chapter in Jackson, Tennessee supported the American Cancer Society Relay For Life as their Week of Service community project. The SkillsUSA members took the lead and asked the whole school to help raise money for this cause. They held a contest between classes and the class that raised the most money was given a pizza lunch, provided by SkillsUSA. This year they fed three classes because of the large amount of money raised. The school raised a total of over $7,000 among the 1100 students who attend. The fundraiser ended with the Madison County Relay For Life Walk, which was held on Friday May 11, 2007. The students set up a campsite, and enjoyed participating in the many activities during the event, reports advisor Carolyn McLemore.

Auto Tech Students Help Train Local Cub Scouts
The Auto Tech Program of Massanutten Technical Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia provided training for an area Cub Scout Pack. The SkillsUSA students helped the Cub Scouts complete requirements for their Handyman merit badge. A total of 12 cub scouts and 7 parents attended the program. The scouts learned how to change a tire and how to check fluid levels in a car by using the owner’s manual. Advisor Dennis Moyers reports that the program was a big success.

Millcreek Center Students Conduct Park Litter Clean Up
Senior SkillsUSA members from the Millcreek Center in Olathe, Kansas went to a local park and cleaned up litter as their service project. Then, they enjoyed an afternoon picnic in the park as a reward, reports advisor John Collins. The participating students were from the advanced auto service technology class.

SkillsUSA Students Volunteer at Crisis Center
A group of 12 SkillsUSA members at the Western Arkansas Technical Center at UA Fort Smith decided that May 10 was the perfect time to give back to their community. To celebrate the anniversary of the founding of SkillsUSA and as part of SkillsUSA National Week of Service, the students spent an afternoon at the Crisis Center for Women in Fort Smith.

The students prepared labels, made phone calls and placed signs in various locations around Fort Smith to aid the Center with its annual fundraising event, "Dinner in the Vineyards," which will be held on June 2. They were able to put into practice the soft skills they had been learning in SkillsUSA meetings this past year by communicating with Crisis Center staff, members of the community, and local business owners. Soft skills include using oral and written communication skills, practicing poise under pressure, and utilizing teamwork, all of which attract employers. Jennifer Canada, Crisis Center director, said there was plenty for the students to do. "We are happy to have them help," Canada said. "We are always in need of short- and long-term volunteers."

The Crisis Center for Women provides services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The center is responsible for providing services to eight counties in Arkansas and Oklahoma. The Western Arkansas Technical Center at UA Fort Smith is an area secondary center serving a five-county area.

Mt. Gilead Health Students
Support Sheltered Workshop for Adults
Health technologies SkillsUSA members at Mt. Gilead High School spent two afternoons during the week of May 7-11 serving Whetstone Industries, an adult workshop run by the Board of MRDD. The senior students participated in weeding, planting, and mulching flower beds, shredding paper for the office, cleaning the transportation vans and assisting the clients with crafts and exercise sessions. Their goal was to support an agency that has suffered from lack of funding. Even though the community passed a recent levy, additional local funds are needed to supplement continued state and federal cuts in funding. They also wanted to help people who are sometimes overlooked in society. "All the students worked very hard and displayed caring, helpful attitudes and enjoyed a sense of accomplishment and service to a very worthy agency," reports advisor Lori Hosack.

E.J. Milliken Technical Center Holds Blood
Drive, and Supports Habitat For Humanity
The E. J. Milliken Technical Center in Oakdale, New York stays actively involved in both community and in school activities. They are working with Habitat for Humanity to build a house in honor of one of our teacher’s son, who passed away. They are also fundraising so they can hold an end of year school social for their SkillsUSA members. During the National Week of Service, they held a blood drive and collected 33 pints of blood. Reported by advisor Giovanni Chiarelli.

The McPherson High School
SkillsUSA Helps Renovate Historic Statue
On May 7 during All Schools Day in McPherson, Kansas, a historic statue of a schoolteacher was rededicated. The statue was renovated by SkillsUSA carpentry students at McPherson High School. The carving, originally created by chainsaw artist Gino Salerno in 1994, had fallen over due to wood rot and vandalism. The students used their skills to repair the rotted wood and re-paint the statue known as Miss Wickersham.  They installed steel bracing in the legs to support the statute. The students then assisted JP Construction in installing the statue at the corner of Kansas and Walnut Streets near the courthouse. The students who refurbished the statue were honored for their work at the re-dedication ceremony. Reported by: advisor Arlan Penner.

Cactus High School Teams with Habitat for Humanity
Cactus High School in Peoria, Arizona organized their advanced building trades students to work with Habitat for Humanity of the West Valley in Peoria for the fifth year in a row. They began work on a house located 5 miles from the school in October and finished it in May. The students did the carpentry, plumbing, electrical wiring, roofing, insulation installation, painting and cabinet installation. They requested outside help when it was time to install the stucco and drywall, in order to speed up construction. Program advisory council members donated trusses, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies and cabinets. During the SkillsUSA National Week of Service, the students also worked on two other houses next to the one they built. They sheeted a roof, installed fascia, gable bracing then blocking and kitchen soffits in both houses.

Detroit Students Work on
Fort Wayne at Mackinac Island
Students from A. Philip Randolph Career and Technical Center in Detroit were recognized for their community involvement at The Michigan Historic Preservation Network's 27th Annual Preservation Conference, which took place May 3-6 on scenic Mackinac Island. The community project enabled the SkillsUSA students to get job training while helping to preserve historic Fort Wayne. The local community and students from the carpentry, computer-aided drafting, painting and decorating, masonry, plumbing and pipefitting, electricity, construction and HVAC were involved.

Calvert Career Center Cleans Highway,
Assists Governor with Bill Signing Days
On May 12, students from Calvert Career Center in Prince Frederick, Maryland worked on a highway cleanup project, part of an ongoing two-year commitment. SkillsUSA members at the school were also asked in May to assist the Governor of Maryland with Bill Signing Days. The students were taken to Annapolis, where their role was to escort guests to the governor’s conference room for the signing of various bills.

Kendrick High School Conducts Cell Phones for Soldiers
Kendrick High School in Georgia celebrated the SkillsUSA National Week of Service by conducting a Cell Phones for Soldiers campaign.  The chapter adopted HC 1/15 Scout Platoon of the Third Brigade from Fort Benning, Georgia. This platoon is currently deployed to Iraq. The chapter is collecting cell phones and accessories to recycle. The money generated by recycling them is then used to buy phone cards so the soldiers can call home. Many of these soldiers and their families spent thousands of dollars on phone bills during their first deployment overseas. The chapter is also selling Support the Troops buttons for $2 each, and the proceeds from the button sales is also being used to purchase phone cards.

Miami Valley CTC Automotive Students
Raise Money for Injured Racecar Drivers
The Miami Valley CTC automotive technology students raised $815 for the Eldora Speedway Injured Driver's Fund as their SkillsUSA Community Service project.  Individuals who made donations were permitted to sign the wing of Dave Jessup's Sprint car. The money was presented to Eldora Speedway by automotive student Fred White in a ceremony at the track just prior to a race featuring the signed car. All of the automotive students were given free race admission tickets by the officials at Eldora.

Culinary Students Honor Campus Monitors
The culinary arts students at Central Campus invited the Des Moines Police Campus Monitors to an appreciation breakfast on Friday, May 11 to thank them for keeping students in Polk County safe. They served 30 police officers a breakfast of egg strata, biscuits and gravy, cinnamon rolls, scones, fresh fruit salad and coffee, tea or juice. Janell Nicholson, state champion in culinary arts and Katie Anderson, state champion in commercial baking served as co-chairs for the event. Both students will represent Iowa at the SkillsUSA Championships.
 
Medical Students Help Fight Cancer
Medical academy students from Cabot High School in Arkansas helped with the annual Relay For Life event on May 11. They helped to set up the event, provide supervision for games, did face painting and walked with survivors of cancer. The students worked in shifts for more than 12 hours to cover the event, which raises money for cancer research. This is the second year medical students from Cabot High School have served the community through the Relay for Life. Students know the event organizers really value the help they provide.

Masonry Students Install Memory
Walk for Grant Regional Hospital
Bricklaying and masonry students at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore have been working to install a walkway of pavers that leads to a garden area at the hospital. Businesses or individuals purchase the engraved pavers as a way to remember their loved ones. The funds that are collected in the sale of each brick go to the hospital foundation to help purchase new medical equipment. The students were invited to meet with hospital foundation officers and learned first-hand the importance of their contribution.

Utah Students Team Up to Clean Highways
Region Two Utah SkillsUSA members teamed up on a large highway clean up service project. Region Two covers Davis and Morgan Counties and includes nine high schools: Northridge, Davis, Layton, Viewmont, Bountiful, Woods Cross, Clearfield, Mountain and Morgan. This is their fifth year of involvement and the project has grown each year.  Students met at Nicholls Park in Kaysville and then proceeded in groups to clean four sections of the highway, both northbound and southbound. They did this project in the fall and again this spring. They are excited to be getting an adopt-a-highway sign that will mark the area they clean, in order to remind drivers that students are out in the community serving others.

Carrigan Career Center
Teams Up with Habitat for Humanity
All Carrigan Career Center classes volunteered with Habitat for Humanity on May 9. The project was organized in honor of the SkillsUSA National Week of Service, reports school principal Leah Ford. A story about their project was published in a local newspaper.

Dunnellon High School Collects, Donates Canned Goods
Dunnellon High School SkillsUSA members teamed up to support the FFA canned goods drive. The SkillsUSA students collected 205 cans and donated them to FFA for the food bank collection. One SkillsUSA member also participated in the Relay for life on Friday May 11. The chapter donated money to other participants who registered for Relay for Life. The SkillsUSA students also made a special lunch for graduating seniors at the school.

Bay Arenac ISD Holds Girl’s Night Out
The Bay-Arenac ISD Early Childhood Education SkillsUSA community service team hosted a Girl’s Night Out.  The event was planned to offer girls and a mother or other significant female in their life an opportunity to celebrate their relationship, build communication and have fun. Home Depot sponsored a pottery painting craft project while Bayshire Beauty Academy did up-dos and manicures for guests attending. Local entrepreneurs such as Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Creative Memories, Home Interiors, and Stampin' Up shared samples of their products. Students and instructors from the dental, agriscience, business information processing, law enforcement, machine trades, auto body, auto mechanics, graphics, and early childhood education classes were involved. Some of the activities included making lip-gloss, creating bookmarks, designing corsages, and creating coin purses out of duct tape.  Special keepsake photographs were taken by the graphics class.  The auto body class gave out gift certificates to detail cars and machine trades created key chain medallions for participants. Instructors and students assisted by doing brief informational presentations on proper tooth brushing, participating in a fashion show, line dancing and how to resist aggression defensively. The culinary arts/hospitality tourism program organized refreshments. The evening concluded with a fashion show sponsored by Younkers and Becca's Closet—a dress bank for high school girls wanting to attend their prom without the resources to purchase these items. Three local junior high students and six students from the early childhood education class modeled the fashions provided. With the generous donations from our supporters for the night the chapter was able to offer the event free of charge and gave away over 65 door prizes. Over 200 guests attended Girl’s Night Out and the school hopes to make this an annual event.

Cometology Students Support Professional Nurses
On May 9, 2007 the cosmetology students from Milby Senior High School in Houston, Texas will be providing services for the nurses at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. This ties into the SkillsUSA National Week of Service and also into Nurses Appreciation Week. The students will provide facials, manicures, and hairstyles from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. This is the fourth year the class has been conducting this community service project and the nurses look forward to it as much as the students enjoy providing the services. Advisor: Stephanie Gonzalez-Williams, cosmetology instructor.

Students Donate Miliary Tribute Tables for Veteran
Welding instructor Julian Acevedo of Kitty Hawk Middle School in University City, Texas will be taking 7 of his students to a local Veteran’s Hospital on May 9, where they will present four special tables they built representing the Army, Air Force, the Marines and the Navy. They plan to meet with to local military troops during the presentation. “As a Desert Storm Veteran and retired Air Force member, I know some of what these men and women are going through. I just hope our little contribution to them can ease the pain.” Two of their tables were entered into competition at the Texas State Championships and took first place. Advisor: Julian Acevedo, welding (mechanical repair)

SkillsUSA Car Cruise to
Support Make-A-Wish Foundation
The school-wide SkillsUSA chapter at Mon Valley Career and Technical Center in Charleroi, Pennsylvania will be sponsoring the 4th Annual Wish Cruise on May 6 to benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation. The car show will be held at the school and will feature food, music and door prizes. The first 150 vehicles to register will receive a special goodie bag prepared by the students. SkillsUSA advisor Lexanne Romonosky says the students have worked hard to solicit donations from local businesses and to generate publicity. At last year's event, students earned over $2,100. This year's goal is $3,400. Advisor: Lexann Romonosky.

Arts & Craft Materials
Collected for Young Hospital Patients
Frederick Career and Technology Center in Frederick, Md., has collected a variety of arts and craft items for young patients at the Johns Hopkins Children's Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. They have gathered 26 large boxes of craft supplies to donate to the hospital. Just prior to the National Week of Service, a small group of their students also made a special trip to Louisiana to help hurricane Katrina victims. Lead advisor: Martha Lowry.

Arkansas Habitat Volunteers Keep Giving
The Saline County Career Center in Bauxite, Arkansas has been regularly volunteering time to their local Habitat for Humanity projects, with students working during the months of March, April and in May to celebrate the SkillsUSA National Week of Service. “We are very proud to be a part of this ongoing commitment,” says their advisor. Advisor: Connie Kinsey, cosmetology.

Health Students Hold Parent
Employer Appreciation Banquet
The Diversified Health Occupations Class at Hamilton High School in Hamilton, Ohio is planning an Appreciation Banquet for Parents and Employers on May 10, 2007.  The banquet will honor parents and employers for their help and cooperation with the SkillsUSA program through the year.  All the SkillsUSA members are involved in the process of planning and carrying out the banquet. Advisor: Joyce Ann Leyrer, health occupations.

Virginia SkillsUSA Members Support Operation Shoebox
Media specialist Jan Budryk of Hermitage Technical Center in Richmond, Virginia is coordinating members of SkillsUSA Virginia for an ongoing national service project called Operation Shoebox. Students are filling boxes with a variety of personal care and snack items for soldiers who are deployed overseas. Students will be bringing their completed shoeboxes to the Virginia state conference on April 26, where organizers will arrange to have them shipped by the national guard to troops who will appreciate a care package. Reported by Jan Budryk, media specialist.

Students Complete Habitat Home in North Carolina
Students in the Construction Technology Classes at Wilkes Career Education Center in Wiklesboro, North Carolina are building a Habitat For Humanity House as their community service project for the year. “This house has been totally built by my students and has been a very good project for us this year. We did all the Framing, roofing, siding, plumbing, electrical, and hung the drywall. We hope to be able to do another house for our community next year to better prepare my students for possible employment in the Construction field, while providing some needy family with a better place to live. This house was built on school property and the transported to its final destination,” reports the instructor. Advisor: Michael Johnson, carpentry.

Puerto Rico SkillsUSA
Members Serve Local Communities
Puerto Rico chapters have made plans to do lots of community service during the SkillsUSA National Week of Service, says Julie De Jesús Alvarado. Students in the Arecibo region plan to sow plants in the school areas to beautiful their schools. In San Juan, students will visit homes for abused children such as the Casa de la Bondad. In the Caguas region, there will be a cleanup project at Barriada Morales for people with limited resources or special needs. In the Bayamón Region there will be visits to elementary schools to support students with recreation activities for students aged 5 to 7. In the Ponce region there will be visits to the District Hospital to visit the sick, especially the elderly and to provide necessities for the patients. In the Mayaguez Region, there will be  beach clean up, with various areas near the city worked on by each school. In the Fajardo Region drafting students are going to showcase their drafting skills in order to promote technical education programs. Reported by Julie De Jesús Alvarado, SkillsUSA Puerto Rico.