UM faculty, staff and students gathered to give Okolona Elementary School a fresh coat of paint on April 12, the final day of National Volunteer Week.
OXFORD, Miss. – A group of University of Mississippi faculty, staff and students donated their time and talents during a beautification project at Okolona Elementary School on April 12, the last day of National Volunteer Week.
More than 50 volunteers, including local residents and representatives from the UM School of Education, McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement and AmeriCorps Vista program, gathered to give the school’s K-4 building a fresh coat of paint, including two new murals in its main hallway.
“We were excited to receive volunteers from Ole Miss who helped breathe life into our building,” said Dexter Green, superintendent of the Okolona Municipal Separate School District. “Our students came in on Monday morning and were excited to see a nice bright place that’s a beautiful learning environment.”
Okolona, which recently came out of state-run conservatorship in 2013, is among multiple schools where UM’s Center for Excellence in Literacy Instruction provides professional development for elementary teachers. The idea for the project came out of CELI’s work with the school.
“We’re dedicated to helping teachers, children and schools have the best opportunities possible,” said Angela Rutherford, CELI director. “Sometimes that means we help make the learning environment more appealing. We believe every child has the right to an excellent education, and we look forward to our continued support of Okolona Elementary.”
The students who volunteered to paint the murals hail from the student organization Rebel Global Collections. A group of international students, they have painted murals at schools in Clarksdale, Crenshaw, Pontotoc, Lambert and Webb. The group also offers a program to schools called World Passport Day, where UM international students give presentations on their home countries. They plan to give a passport presentation April 25 at Okolona.
McLean Institute program coordinator Ryan Parsons played a key role in recruiting UM students who volunteered for the day of service.
“Our institutional goal is to fight poverty through education in Mississippi,” Parsons said. “This was a good chance for students to support education in a high-needs school district and an opportunity for international students to see more of our state. This kind of service is at the heart of what our institute does.”
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