Early childhood education students provide heartfelt donation

Photographer: Neeley AllenDr. Jamie Harmount and Josh Tripp

Students enrolled in Diversity in Early Childhood Education, EDEC 3701, at Ohio University Chillicothe cheerfully donated $300 to the Pioneer Center in Ross County, Ohio. The donation came about as part of the class’s community service learning project. 

In this class, students participate in a variety of service projects to help increase the students’ awareness, sensitivity, and understanding of and responsiveness to children and families from diverse backgrounds.

At the beginning of this semester, the students were given the option of doing their service project individually or as a class. After a heart-rending visit with the students at the Pioneer Center, the ECE students voted to do their service project for the students at the Center.

Prior to their class, the students participated in a field trip to the Pioneer Center. The Pioneer Center is a school that provides lifetime opportunities for people with developmental disabilities from birth through adulthood.

Taylor Alexander, ECE student, shared, “I was very surprised when we visited the Center. The faculty and staff do a wonderful job at taking care of and providing a very loving atmosphere for their students.”

During their trip, the students received a tour of the facility and participated in the Pioneer Center’s sign choir. The class tour guide was alumni, Josh Tripp, who also completed the ECE program at OU Chillicothe. Tripp is the Special Education Supervisor for the Center.

“It was an honor to participate in the sign choir,” shared ECE student, Katie Powers. “Even though some students couldn’t do the signs, they were all so excited and the looks on their faces were priceless. It was a very touching and emotional experience.”

While touring the building, Josh also told the students that the school needed a massage chair to replace the broken one located in the school’s sensory room. The sensory room is essential to the school as it provides a safe and calming place for students during times of stress.

At the next class, the students told their professor, Dr. Jamie Harmount, that they wanted to raise money to give to the Pioneer Center to help provide a new massage chair for their students. To help raise money the students held a silent auction in class and raised $300 dollars.

After the auction, on April 5, 2018, the students invited Josh Tripp to their class so that they could present him with a check for their donation. Tripp shared, “I’m honored to accept this gift on behalf of the Pioneer Center. We’re so grateful for this donation and the cool thing is that the chair we’re looking at buying is estimated to cost us about $250. This is wonderful!”