SkillsUSA Georgia

SkillsUSA and the upper level Video Production classes at Dalton High School have received a grant from the United Way of Northwest Georgia to implement a MLK project. The MLK Day of Service grant is an annual grant given to groups to use for expenses related to the project activities.  Three components make up the project: a service project, service learning, and intergenerational dialogue.

For the service project, students from the SkillsUSA organization led groups from the Westwood School After-School-Program in games and activities.  These games promoted unity and respect.  The students also talked about diversity.  Rosy Chavez, Jeremy Pryor, Erika Figueroa, Janet Figueroa, Cecy Sanchez, Alexis Gonzalez, and Jesse Warren help lead and participated in the fun with the elementary students.  SkillsUSA sponsors Nancy Hallsworth, Ross Meslin, and Melanie Patrick were also in attendance and helped to organize the event.

Another part of the MLK project was a student-produced video. Video students produced a DVD to distribute to all Dalton Public Schools about volunteering.  The video was based on a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. that says, “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.”  The 5 ½ minute video features students from the high school telling about how volunteering is valuable to themselves and the community and how anybody can be a volunteer.