Volunteers In Public Schools (VIPS) hosted 12 seniors from St. Joseph’s Academy who spent the day with students at Park Elementary School on October 13 as part of their Second Annual Senior Day of Service. 

Volunteers read Marcus Pfister’s “Rainbow Fish” to the school’s kindergarten and first-grade classes.  Following the story, students decorated a fish that they had to describe using lots of adjectives. 

Many of the St. Joseph’s Academy volunteers explained to VIPS their interest in the project is related to their desire to go into education.  Seniors were able to select from several service options for the service day event.  “This is a great experience, and I liked having the opportunity to interact with little kids,” said student Olivia Bridewell on her selection of Park Elementary as her service project. 

“When we encourage high school students to volunteer, we are instilling a sense of reaching beyond personal gain and giving back.  We believe this act of service lasts a lifetime,” said Shannon Cain, the Volunteer director at VIPS. 

In the last two years, VIPS has striven to involve more teens in community service.  The most recent project being EveryBody Reads© TEENS that partners Belaire High School students with La Belle Aire Elementary School students. 

As St. Joseph’s Academy, seniors left Park Elementary and were bombarded by requests to return the following day. 

“I liked them coming to class today because they read us a story and then we got to make the fish that was in the story,” said a first grader at Park Elementary, “will they be back tomorrow?”

VIPS is an independent non profit that works to foster student success for every child in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System by building support for public education.