For the third consecutive year, Ideal Industries and Spartan REACH have been awarded the KEYS – Pumpkin Fest Youth Partnership Award for the 2011 Pumpkin Fest Parade.
The Pumpkin Fest Youth Partnership Award was created by DeKalb County KEYS (Keep Encouraging Youth to Succeed) as a way to formally recognize a local organization that actively involves youth as resources, demonstrates they value youth, provides adult role models and seeks out the creative skills of young people through the process of creating a float for the Pumpkin Fest parade.
The Ideal/Spartan Reach took a team approach to constructing their 2011 parade float. During every work session young people were actively engaged in the process. The students helped with the design and construction of the float and recommended changes along the way. They were taught how to use various power tools and then utilized those new skills though helping design and build float props.
According to Ideal employee, Caprice Perez, “Every year we do this we all gain something from the experience. The students are given an opportunity to work with adults as equal partners vs. the typical role teachers’ play in students’ lives. This is a different type of interaction than they are used to experiencing. Every year, the Ideal employees gain a better understanding of youth and potential they offer. After a couple of work sessions, the adults start to see the students’ confidence increase and that’s what really gets the adults excited.”
We applaud Ideal Industries for their continued investment in youth. Time and time again, this company is facilitating and helping to nurture the opportunities, skills, relationships, values, and self-perceptions that all young people need and deserve. That foundation of strength will then help them navigate and thrive in their future years.
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