Carmel Elementary Places 2nd in Belk Service Learning Challenge

Patch Staff Report

Carmel Elementary School in Woodstock has placed in a national service contest sponsored by Belk department stores. 

The school placed second in the Georgia division in the Belk Serving Learning Challenge competition for the Beta Club’s service-learning project, Collecting for Colts. 

The prize is $100 for the project’s teacher and a $500 scholarship for each of the students (up to four) who led the project; the teacher and students also win assorted other prizes from Belk. 

The challenge, which is open to students in grades 4-8, encourages students “to identify an authentic community issue, develop and implement an action plan that creates meaningful change and showcase their project by creating and submitting a presentation with impact,” according to Belk. 

The club led the school-wide Collecting for Colts drive to gather donations of school supplies for students in need. Club members said they were motivated to hold the drive after learning some of their classmates lacked the means to purchase supplies. The collected supplies were given to the school counselors to be distributed to students as needed. 

Teacher Merry Willis coordinated the projected with the Beta Club’s student officers: President Noelle Mosely, Vice President Maya Thomas, Treasurer Sara Croslyn and Secretary Shayanne Kelly -- the four students who will receive the scholarships and prizes.