RA Action:

News from the NEA Annual Meeting

July 1, 2007

Outreach to Teach: The Grass is Greener

A honeymoon cruise to the Grand Cayman Islands or resurfacing asphalt at an elementary school—which would you choose? For newlywed teacher Erica Jarmon, a first-grade teacher at Gotwals Elementary School in Norristown, Pennsylvania, it was a no-brainer. “I got married two days ago,” Jarmon said, “but when I heard Outreach to Teach was coming to our school, I had to stay.”

Outreach to Teach volunteers roll out a new lawn at Gotwals Elementary School in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

“I’m so proud that a fellow teacher and NEA member postponed her honeymoon to give her students a better school,” said Clemson University junior Kelly Bowers. The South Carolina student was one of an army of volunteers who turned out for Outreach to Teach, the school renovation program that has been a popular RA event for more than a decade.

This year, more than 300 NEA members—including Student, Retired, Higher Education, and Education Support Professionals—worked together to transform Gotwals inside and out. Volunteers grabbed mops, paintbrushes, hammers, and shovels to clean the school, paint murals, decorate bulletin boards, and put up retaining walls. Meanwhile, Yvette Rios, set designer for the hit daytime show Rachael Ray, turned a lackluster teacher’s lounge into a stunning retreat. But for Gotwals principal Maryanne Hoskins, the most critical renovation was the landscaping that transformed 20,000 square feet of hard asphalt into a soft, verdant lawn.

“The thing that first struck me when I came to this school was the concrete playground with weeds growing through the cracks. Now the children have a safe place to play and learn,” said a grateful Hoskins, who has future plans to add outdoor weather and music stations.

“Grass is safer,” echoed Clayton Schrader, a senior at Washburn University in Kansas who volunteered to haul dirt and lay sod in 90-degree weather. “I heard that the kids kick balls over the fence so they have an excuse to touch the grass on the other side.”

This kind of landscaping doesn’t come cheap—$100,000 was spent, compared with the $60,000 to $80,000 Outreach usually averages per school. A sizeable contribution from Volkswagen of America and serious fundraising by the Pennsylvania State Education Association helped provide the funds to make Gotwals safer and brighter.

“We’re here today,” said NEA President Reg Weaver, “because students and school employees deserve to learn and work in clean, cheerful surroundings.” They’ll be able to do just that thanks to the hard work of all the volunteers, said NEA Student Chairperson Anthony Daniels. “They’re creating an environment where students can learn—in and outside of the classroom.”

At the end of a hot, sweaty day, after Outreach volunteers have put down their paintbrushes and parked their wheelbarrows, Erica Jarmon didn’t regret trading a tropical sunset for the smiles of the neighborhood students exploring their new playground. It was worth it, she said, for the looks on their faces.