GCS Announces First-Ever "Cool to Serve" Event

On Sunday, June 24 at 2 p.m., hundreds of the district's service-learning graduates will meet one final time at the Showplace in High Point to celebrate their accomplishments and test their luck. After logging more than 159,000 hours of service-learning this year, these Guilford County Schools students will have the opportunity to win some of the coolest prizes from Apple and just might drive home in a brand-new 2012 Honda Civic LX from Vann York Auto Group. No one will go home empty-handed - all students will receive a $15 iTunes gift card, and those students who earned their Service-Learning Diplomas will pick them up at the event.

"We're so excited to reward these students who have done so much to enrich the lives of others," said Superintendent Maurice "Mo" Green. "These young people have certainly gone above and beyond in their high school careers, and what they've gained through service-learning won't stop when they graduate from Guilford County Schools. These students will continue to make a difference in their communities, and that contribution to the greater good is why we made character such a large component of our educational strategic plan."

As part of the district's four-year strategic plan launched in 2009, service-learning is voluntary for students. The Class of 2012 marks the first graduating class to be eligible for the Service-Learning Diploma, which is awarded to students who have recorded at least 175 hours. This year, 440 students will receive the Diploma. In addition, 366 students will earn the Exemplary Award, which is bestowed upon those students who logged at least 75 hours of service-learning.

Cool to Serve is made possible through a donation from Businesses for Excellence in Education. This event will reward those students who have embraced GCS' service-learning program. All students who earn the Service-Learning Exemplary Award will be invited to attend the event and win raffle prizes, but only those who earn the Service-Learning Diploma will earn the opportunity to try to unlock the car.