La Sierra Service-Learning class fulfills After School program pledge

  School of Education  

With ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ like it was Christmas morning, dozens of students at Stokoe Elementary School in Riverside stretched to view the colorful stacks of games, art supplies, school supplies and sporting goods filling their school’s stage.

Zapara School of Business Associate Law and Management Professor Jere Fox addresses students at Stokoe Elementary in Riverside. His class raised nearly $4,000 for after school program supplies.
Zapara School of Business Associate Law and Management Professor Jere Fox addresses students at Stokoe Elementary in Riverside. His class raised nearly $4,000 for after school program supplies.
Youngsters at Stokoe Elementary School react to the colorful sight of games, art supplies, an LED television, volleyballs, basketballs and other sporting goods arrayed on a stage.
Youngsters at Stokoe Elementary School react to the colorful sight of games, art supplies, an LED television, volleyballs, basketballs and other sporting goods arrayed on a stage.
La Sierra University Senior Project students raised thousands of dollars to purchase supplies and games. They transported the goods to Stokoe Elementary for a presentation. Products will also benefit Wells Middle School.
La Sierra University Senior Project students raised thousands of dollars to purchase supplies and games. They transported the goods to Stokoe Elementary for a presentation. Products will also benefit Wells Middle School.

The bounty, intended for the after school programs at Stokoe and at Wells Middle School, included paint sets, marker sets, painting canvases, packs of paper and pencils, educational games, soccer and volley balls, tennis balls, volleyball, badminton, and soccer goal nets and a 32-inch Toshiba LED television.

“Soccer. Basketball. Board games,” called out several students when asked which items on the stage they most wanted to play with.

The goods were unveiled during a special assembly on Dec. 9, and were purchased with $3,909.49 raised during the fall academic quarter by 14 La Sierra University Senior Project business students led by Jere Fox, an associate law and management professor at the Zapara School of Business. The effort capped a pledge Fox made two-and-a-half years ago to Carmen Phillips, After School Programs coordinator for the Alvord Unified School District, that his Senior Project classes would raise funds to benefit all 16 Alvord After School programs. Donations to Stokoe and Wells schools this month fulfilled the promise. All told, Fox’s six classes since spring 2012 have delivered to Alvord’s 16 after school programs a total of $22,556.53 in products paid for with student fundraising efforts.

“The time, energy, and dedication that has been shown by the La Sierra University students each time this course is offered continues to amaze me,” Phillips said. “The La Sierra University students do a fantastic job of showing the AUSD After School Program students that they care, want to make a difference and that giving to others in the community is a worthwhile endeavor.”

The donation from Fox’s class also helps the district reach matching fund goals for state grants that pay for after school programming, she said.

“The After School Programs in Alvord are funded by an After School Education and Safety grant from the State of California. We are required yearly to provide documentation of matching funds to be considered in good standing with the state,” said Phillips. “In the 2013-2014 school year, we were required to have in-kind matching funds of $1,073,112.19.”

The university students raised money this fall with three bake sales, a yard sale, t-shirt sales, and a donation website designed by one of the students. Some family members and friends also contributed money when they learned about the students’ project and fundraising goals.

La Sierra senior healthcare management and pre-med major Megan Gampong made between 50 and 60 Fruit Loop cereal treats for three bake sales held on campus the second week of November. The bake sales brought in about $400. Her mother, Venus Calla who lives in New York, donated $2,000 to the after school program drive once she heard about the students’ efforts. “It’s really rewarding, especially when you hear them screaming before the curtain is fully open. They were just so thankful,” said Gampong following the presentation to the Stokoe Elementary students. 

“For me, that’s why I do charities like this. Seeing the kids’ reaction, it’s the best payment you can get,” said senior business management major Justin Peck. “This one is the best [charities] I’ve done because we did this from the ground up. We put our heads together and came up with a business plan.” 

A veteran and former U.S. Army medic during the Iraq war, Peck is vice president of a veteran’s club established at La Sierra this fall. He has worked with the Spark of Love and Toys for Tots toy drives and visits children in hospitals as a member of the 501st Legion, an organization dedicated to promoting the Star Wars genre with costumed events and appearances.

As part of an academic service-learning program, the business students in Fox’s class visited Stokoe and Wells early in the quarter to determine the needs of the After School programs and then created a fundraising business plan to help meet those needs.  The university requires undergraduate students to perform 14 hours per student per quarter of community service. This quarter the student’s in Fox’s class contributed a total of 291 service-learning hours outside of the classroom, with more than 95 of those hours voluntarily contributed above the required minimum hours. The business students in Fox’s six Senior Project classes over the past two-and-a-half years voluntarily contributed to the after school program project an additional 884 hours above the minimum required hours, for a combined total of 3,474 hours of service-learning outside of the classroom. 

“The business students have worked hard over the years despite their full-time course loads,” said Fox. “And the fact that they always volunteer more service-learning hours than required is a testament to their emotional connection and community service commitment to help the kids and teachers of Alvord after school programs.”

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