Seniors bound for national competition
A little respect goes a long way. Just ask Toni Madewell, Lindsay Rawson and Christie Seibers, three Warren County High School seniors whose work on Project RESPECT will take them to the FCCLA National Convention this summer.
FCCLA, known formally as Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, is a national vocational organization for students enrolled in family and consumer science courses. The local students recently attended the organization’s state convention, where they captured first place in the service project manual, senior division.
It was in the club’s service project manual that the students chronicled Project RESPECT, a multi-month project designed to promote respect for self and others. An acronym for Real Esteem Stops Problems Effecting Curious Teens, RESPECT was aimed at county students in the eighth through the 12th grades.
The project began during the fall semester adult living class taught by high school teacher Ann Terry. Under Terry’s tutelage, the three students and their fellow FCCLA members first toured the county elementary schools where they put on an abstinence skit for eighth-graders in October.
“We wanted to let them know that it’s all right to say no. When a lot of them get to the high school, they’ll go out with seniors and might get pressured to do things,” said Madewell.
At the high school, club members promoted their RESPECT campaign in a number of different ways. These included giving Hershey’s Hugs and Kisses, as well as pencils, emblazoned with the RESPECT acronym to their fellow students. They also recognized student good deeds, and gave cookies to teachers to show their appreciation.
During the week of Valentine’s Day, the club conducted a “date match” computer compatibility fundraiser.
For a small fee, students could answer a compatibility questionnaire and have a computer determine a number of their fellow students with which they are most compatible.
The fundraiser brought the club $1,000 – money which it used to finance its trip to the state convention in Nashville and will use to travel to the national convention in Chicago in July.