The North East Emergency Distribution (N.E.E.D.) Center in Haltom City is now a brighter, happier place for its staff and the families it supports.
It’s all because of the efforts of the Business and Service Education (B.A.S.E.) students at TCC’s Haltom City Northeast Center.
Using shear talent and their knowledge gained from class, seventh, eighth, and ninth graders designed creative merchandising posters to decorate the Center’s walls and much more.
“The center is more motivational and not as dull,” said Carol Mabry, director of the North East Emergency Distribution (N.E.E.D.) Center in Haltom City, praising the students for the significant impact they made on the Center.
“The students helped me prepare approximately six dozen food bags, which has benefited many children across the Birdville School District who receive free or reduced lunches during the school year,” said Mabry, adding they are replacing that need for them during the summer. “They also labeled pantry shelves to make it better organized.”
B.A.S.E., launched as one of TCC’s latest educational youth camps, allows students to learn basic business skills and become familiar with community service opportunities by participating in a wide array of academic categories. These include graphic arts design in advertisement and merchandising, design and testing processes in new product development, money management, and investing principles.
Students learned to manage money using the exciting Building Wealth curriculum developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. They discussed how to save, invest, and manage credit; control debt; and pay for college. Using the West Point Bridge Building computer simulation software, students also learned how to design and build structures within budget constraints, and test their designs. Investing was made more appealing to students by allowing them to play challenging games such as Monopoly and the PIT card game, which simulates the chaotic environment of the stock market trading platform.
Along with their hard work labeling shelves and packaging meals for the N.E.E.D. Center, students designed and produced cards for Meals on Wheels clients using Microsoft Publisher, and designed flyers for the Community Enrichment Center’s resale shop, Second Glance.
Haltom City officials recently stopped by the HCNC to observe students role-playing in a fictional landfill relocation debate. During the exercise, students posing as the city mayor, council person, and community chair proposed landfill alternatives such as increasing community recycling. Fran Burns, Haltom City community project coordinator, helped facilitate the student presentations
B.A.S.E. Camp Coordinator Hank Johnson couldn’t be prouder of the program’s success. “Many students and parents have already asked if the camp will be offered again next year,” Johnson said. “We will indeed offer it again, and have plans to expand it further.”
Check out a mention of the students’ efforts in Haltom City’s publication, Crossroads City Newsletter, at: http://www.haltomcitytx.com/images/PDF_ED/CrossroadsNewletter/crapril_may12.pdf.
Submitted by Anna Frankie Farrar-Helm,
a summer intern in Public Relations and Marketing,
where she enjoys learning about TCC happenings
and sharing them with others.