Students and staff of Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) benefit from the support of thousands of school volunteers and community partners each year. It is estimated that more than 35,000 individuals and partners donated approximately 400,000 hours of service last school year.

VBCPS celebrated the importance of community engagement and recognized the dedicated service of 86 Volunteers of the Year and seven Model Partnerships at the Community Engagement Awards Reception April 25. Volunteers of the Year were selected by each VBCPS school and center for making a difference through their support of academics, athletics, activities and the arts. Model Partners were selected from nominations of exemplary school-community collaborations that support the academic growth and social-emotional development of students.

The school division's 2019 Model Partners are:

• ABS Technology and the Advanced Technology Center
• Gold Key PHR and Kempsville High School
• Haygood United Methodist Church and Luxford Elementary School
• The PTA of New Castle Elementary School and New Castle Elementary School
• iFly Virginia Beach and Seatack Elementary An Achievable Dream Academy
• Sister Cities Association of Virginia Beach and Tallwood High School
• Hampton Roads Public Works Academy and the Technical and Career Education Center

From among the exemplary Volunteers of the Year, the Virginia Beach Council of PTAs (VBPTA) selected the following elementary-level and secondary-level volunteers as the 2019 PTA Citywide Volunteers of the Year:

Colsen Eubank, Corporate Landing Elementary School
Colsen is a student at Ocean Lakes High School Math and Science Academy, a member of the National Honor Society, head of the administrative team for Ocean Lakes leadership workshop, a member of Citywide Student Council Association and is in the Science Fiction and Biology Clubs. While maintaining his busy schedule, Colsen makes time each week to assist with Corporate Landing Elementary School's Beach Bags program and, on average, packs over half of each week's 100 bags the school distributes. Additionally, he unpacks and organizes the food in the pantry and ensures that expired food is removed. Colsen believes that providing students with food on the weekend allows them to come to school the following week ready to meet the challenges of the school day.

Deedra Dills, Cox High School
Dills has dedicated years to volunteering for the division, including Alanton Elementary School, Great Neck Middle School and, most recently, Cox High School. Known as a proud and active alumnus of Cox High School, she was the first volunteer to help plan and build the school's outdoor learning space, "The Wing." Dills' dedicated hours of service has contributed to the enhanced learning experience and improved morale for students in this multipurpose environment. In addition to her work in VBCPS schools, she is also an active community volunteer with Girl Scouts.

More information about the 2019 Model Partnerships and 2019 Volunteers of the Year is available on www.vbschools.com. To learn more about these programs or related opportunities to support VBCPS, please contact Jennifer McGowan, school/community partnerships coordinator, at [email protected] or 757-263-1799.

###

Department of Communications and Community Engagement, [email protected]

Like us on Facebook || Follow us on Twitter || Follow us on Instagram
Visit the Core