WHAT:           The City of Little Rock will be honoring AmeriCorps NCCC Water 6 Team Members and saying farewell in a ceremony at Dodd Elementary School.  A  garden and greenhouse commemorative sign will be revealed, and a touching student tribute will be shared with the team.

WHO:             Cities of Service Chief Service Officer Michael Drake, Dodd Elementary School students and faculty, AmeriCorps NCCC team members, City Director Joan Adcock

WHERE:         Dodd Elementary School

WHEN:            10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  –  After 6 weeks, building over 70 raised-bed gardens, delivering numerous nutrition classes, providing oversight to a Fitness Finders walking program, assembling two greenhouses, and receiving a student-penned thank-you note, 12 AmeriCorps Water 6 Team Members will be leaving Little Rock following a Wednesday ceremony at a school where the impact of the team’s service work was felt most. 

The AmeriCorps NCCC Team came to Little Rock to support the Love Your School initiative, which provides nutrition education, gardens, cooking classes, and walking programs to eight partner schools in the Little Rock School District serving nearly 4,000 elementary school students.

On Wednesday, the new Gardens and Greenhouse at Dodd Elementary School will be formally conveyed, with a sign dedicating the improvements to the school’s students and faculty. 

“This Team certainly raised the bar for future teams,” said Michael Drake, Chief Service Officer for the City of Little Rock. “I am in awe at what these AmeriCorps NCCC members were able to accomplish in their short time in Little Rock.”

ABOUT AMERICORPS NCCC (NATIONAL CIVILIAN COMMUNITY CORPS)

AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) strengthens communities and develops leaders through direct, team-based national and community service. In partnership with non-profits—secular and faith based—local municipalities, state governments, federal government, national and state parks, Indian tribes, and schools, members complete service projects throughout the region they are assigned.

AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, team-based residential program for men and women age 18-24. Members are assigned to one of five campuses — Denver, CO; Sacramento, CA; Baltimore, MD; Vicksburg, MS; and Vinton, IA.  AmeriCorps NCCC Water 6 was deployed from the Southwest Region Denver Campus.

Drawn from the successful models of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s and the U.S. military, AmeriCorps NCCC is built on the belief that civic responsibility is an inherent duty of all citizens and that national service programs work effectively with local communities to address pressing needs.

About the Little Rock School District

The Little Rock School District is the largest district in the state with nearly 25,000 students. LRSD has the distinction of being home to a national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence; more than 181 teachers with National Board Certification; the state's only K-8 STEM Academy; and the largest group of National Merit Semifinalists.

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