POWERGRAMS

20 20 APSO Every kid needs a hero. Thanks to a partnership between the Western Division Chapter of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) and the Demopolis City Schools Foundation, several employees at Greene County Steam Plant are championing youngsters at Westside Elementary School. Marie Wilson Marie Wilson, Elaine Fetzer Elaine Fetzer, Sha Torya Eaton Sha Torya Eaton, Addison Seale Addison Seale and Shenita henita Conwell Conwell are helping in the project for prekindergarten through second grade classes at Westside. The aim: through volunteers' emotional and moral support, boosting children's confidence, increasing their enjoyment and improving their learning skills. Greene County's team has volunteered for more than 50 hours since 2019. A "brainchild" of Executive Director Amanda Barnes and her staff at the school foundation, the program started last year in January. Be a rock star for a day Greene County's APSO volunteers visit the classroom to get an overview of subjects taught and oversee a lunch class to provide teachers a much-needed break. Most importantly, Wilson said, volunteers are present for Grandparents' Day, Awards Day or the school's "red carpet" event, which encourages scholarship through individual awards. Wilson spends up to two hours a month with Westside Elementary second grade teacher Nicole Larkin's class. "There's no overestimating the power of the program. It lets you be a rock star for a day," said Wilson, power generation analyst. "The community can establish relationships with the students, teachers and staff. The kids love it. As their class person, you're the cheering section, giving moral support and encouragement. "It benefits the children, having another adult kind of cheering them on," said Wilson. "They have someone to brag to." For Wilson, the program is time well-spent: "It makes me feel good to support my community. This is a much more personal way to interact with the kids, and maybe these children will remember it. It's not a big thing we're doing, but to these kids, it might be." Though her son is in Larkin's class, Wilson said, "I'm there for everyone. The kids love it, they enjoy having someone come from outside. It really helps them. "I like the kids," Wilson said. "Tomorrow, it's their world. If you start off showing them positive connections with adults, then, maybe they will grow up to display those same interactions with others in their lives." Larkin said that Wilson has done more than provide a "duty-free" lunchtime for the teacher. "Marie Wilson has been a huge help," said Larkin, who earned her master's degree in early childhood and elementary education from the University of West Alabama. "Anytime we have a program or leadership day, she's here to give support and praise the kids. Several of the kids have moms or dads who can't come. Marie has given wonderful help in my classroom." The program has given Larkin a new perspective. A teacher for 17 years, she welcomes the volunteer efforts that substitute for parents who can't make it to school events because of work, illness or other situations. "Marie provides great social and emotional support," Larkin added. "She's like a second mom to some of the children." For Eaton, who is single, assisting in the classroom is "a bit of a new experience." Working with kindergarten teacher Anne Freeman, Eaton enjoys being with the children, seeing their accomplishments and watching them learn. "It's just powerful, and the kids amaze me," said Eaton, administrative support specialist and a Western Division APSO-South Subchapter member for 13 years. "Seeing the kids and how they're learning now, compared to how I learned in school, is very different." Eaton is in awe of Freeman's teaching skills, patience and ability to handle busy kindergarteners. "It takes a strong-minded individual," said Eaton, who has watched Freeman's students at lunch and during lessons. "Being with them in class, the kids were very active. It's a lot for one kindergarten teacher." Eaton will volunteer for the project again in 2020. "I enjoy being around young kids and seeing them learn things for the first time," she said. It takes a village At Westside Elementary, only five of the 30 volunteers selected by Barnes are parents or grandparents of the students. To help more children and build a group of advocates for public education, there are additional plans to bring the project to third graders at U.S. Jones Elementary School. "There's this realization that parenting is more difficult than ever, because many couples and guardians work," said Barnes. "I like to call this 'community room parents.' We put a community member, typically not a parent, in a classroom to be there. "We know that most parents have jobs, and it can be hard to get off work," Barnes said. "We have the volunteers be there and get to be a leader in the school, to be there for Awards Day. It's important to celebrate successes throughout the year." With Demopolis being a small town, it's not unusual for kids to see their volunteers out and about in the community: "They'll say, 'That's my person,'" she said. Barnes said the project has helped develop a kinship among people in the community. "There's a real need to embrace all of our kids and make sure everyone loves them," Barnes said. "One parent broke down in tears and said, 'Having someone be here for my child means the world to me.' We owe a lot to Alabama Power. They are a great corporate citizen. If we need a volunteer or someone with expertise, they send someone." By Donna Cope Western APSO boosts kids' morale at Westside Elementary in Demopolis Wilson reads to kids.

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