ROCK SPRINGS – Students of the academies at Rock Springs High School are taking community service global. The students have asked the residents and businesses of the community to help and make it a community project.
At Monday night’s regular Sweetwater County School District No. 1 Board Meeting, staff and students of the academies at RSHS announced a community service project which RSHS Principal Darrin Peppard called “groundbreaking.”
They will be working with Homes of Living Hope to transform a shipping container into a medical clinic which will be sent to Liberia.
Peppard said the plan started after learning about Homes of Living Hope in Colorado last year. Tony Yerkovich explained a little about the organization and how they connect communities through service.
Homes of Living Hope provide the framework for volunteer groups to unite their time, talents, and resources to transform shipping containers into full-service facilities such as schools and medical clinics for underserved communities around the world.
They connect organizations, schools, community groups, churches, and corporations with a service project that takes minimal time and effort, yet makes a huge impact for those that need it most.
RSHS is the first school in Wyoming to participate in the program. Yerkovich said it takes community service global. He also asked the community to get involved in the project.
“We want to get everyone in the community involved,” — Tony Yerkovich
One by one, students of the three RSHS academies – health, energy and the fire, law and leadership – spoke to the board about the projects. Academy students are required to perform community service which has spawned projects that remain in place today.
A couple of students such as Kelly Gonzalez told of experiences in Mexico with real poverty. She said things we often take for granted do not even exist. Each student also asked the community for any help they can give.
Not only did the students say money will help, they also asked for people who could provide services such as building and electrical work. The students will also need building materials and medical supplies.
As for the shipping container itself, that was donated by Simplot after the group presented at the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce Luncheon earlier in the day.
If you would like to help in anyway you can contact several people.
– Bruce Metz, Career Health Academy :
307.389.9172 metzb@sw1.k12.wy.us
– Tony Yerkovich, Career Energy Resource Academy :
307.389.9087 yerkovicht@sw1.k12.wy.us
– Jana Erickson, Career Center :
307.352.3440 ext. 4536 ericksonj@sw1.k12.wy.us
– John Cundall, Career Fire, Law & Leadership Academy :
307.272.0918 cundallj@sw1.k12.wy.us
