FACE program working on important projects as part of new grant

Emma Hughes

Gila River Indian News

Blackwater Community School FACE Program (Family and Child Education) students and parents have been cleaning up the yards of the elderly complex. A project that they’ve titled as the “elderly complex beautification and clean-up” which allows the students to become more involved with the Community through volunteer services.

The project idea came up when students and parents wanted to create and do something that would help their Community and give back. After meeting with the Community to discuss what some of the needs are and possible project ideas; one idea that was brought up was that the yards of elderly were not routinely cleaned up and were covered with weeds. 

After getting approval from the Community Services Department, the school began the yard cleanup. Equipped with safety vest and gloves the students, staff and even parents pulled weeds, pick up trash and raked the yards and even offered the option for the elderly to have flower pots.

This project is just one of three that the Blackwater Community School has been working on, which also contributes to a grant from the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program that the school has been awarded that allows them the create self-sustainable projects that gives back to their Community. 

During the fall season the school has previously hosted a 3D haunted house which is held in the school’s admin building and goes off into some of the classrooms with windows blacked out and ply boards painted black, splattered with neon paint and put up to create a maze for participants to walk through and at the end of the haunted house they receive a book in either O’otham or English. The project is titled “Book & Boo” to help promote reading. 

Their third and final project for the grant will be a “uniform giving shed.” The school provides one uniform to each student but of course more than one is needed for the school week and for those unable to get more uniforms, the giving shed will be able to provide those in need with new or gently used uniforms.