LOCC Youth Alliance holds banquet
Published 8:00 am Thursday, June 28, 2012
The Lake Oconee Youth Alliance (formerly known as the Lake Oconee Youth Academy) recently held its first school year-end banquet for Greene and Union Point.
Avis Williams, pastor of LOCC Community Transformation, runs the summer youth programs, which is sponsored in part by LOCC (Lake Oconee Community Church).
As the academies conclude each summer, the youth who attended the program, continue to be mentored and encouraged by Williams and other academy supporters. The children’s progress (grades) is monitored through report card periods and the children earn trips and other recognition by raising their overall grade average by one full grade. At the end of the school year, the Youth Alliance students, their families, community supporters and Youth Alliance leadership come together to celebrate their accomplishments.
The recent banquet was held at the Lake Oconee Academy, in Greensboro, to recognize the Greene and Union Point students from the Youth Alliance of the past two years. Dr. Otho Tucker, CEO at Lake Oconee Academy and his wife were the gracious hosts of this banquet.
The Greene County Schools Nutrition Department, led by Mrs. Della Fowler, prepared delicious food for all to enjoy. Many members from the LOCC Mission and Benevolence Committee helped to serve the dinner. Kimberly Kennedy, LOCC summer intern, prepared a wonderful presentation, filled with pictures and stories from the last 12 months of the Youth Alliance activities.
During the banquet, all students received certificates. The “A” Honor Roll students, i.e. those with an “A” average, received certificates and a gift bag. Several students achieved significant plateaus at their school. They included: Zanobia Brown, third grade at Greensboro Elementary student, who received special recognition as the only student in the Youth Alliance-Greene County group to earn “A’s ” the entire year; Rakerria Miller, sixth grade at Carson Middle School, who received the NWEA Math Award and Treasure Butler, sixth grade at Union Point Elementary, who won the school’s Spelling Bee.
Many school and community leaders showed their support for the accomplishment of the students by attending the banquet. Those in attendance included, Dr. Barbara Davis, superintendent, Greene County Schools, Mrs. Velecia Cobb, and Ms. Debora Smith, members, Greene County school board, Dr. Joan V. Antone, retiring principal GES, Mrs. Cass Robinson, principal, UPE, and Mrs. Loretta Moon and Ms Tracey Dunn, bus drivers GCS.
The LOCC Youth Alliance has just launched their third year of the summer program and includes four-week academies in Greensboro, Putnam and Union Point. In the coming weeks, The LOCC Youth Alliance, Avis Williams and the many supporters and sponsors of the program, look forward to sharing their 2012 Youth Alliance experiences.