The 2013-2014 Outstanding School Volunteers have been named by the Palm Beach County School District in recognition of their commitment and dedication to students and schools. Winners were selected from nominations based on years of service, number of volunteer hours and contribution of services.
The Outstanding Student Volunteer of the Year is Harrison Harward, a senior at Suncoast High School.
Harward, nominated by H.L. Johnson Elementary School, began volunteering at an early age. Through the years, she has created a number of programs that set her apart. She established a “Green Day” event at several schools which included the creation of a Green Team organizing school-wide recycling efforts, and a Green Fair to promote green businesses. She also created a letter-writing program with fellow classmates and emotional behavior disorder students at neighboring schools. These letters helped students communicate with role models and promote positive behavior.
Harward’s ingenuity didn’t stop there. She also founded Communiteenz, a web site of nearly 300 teenagers with one common goal: to volunteer. The program is now in six Palm Beach County high schools and is growing strong. Communiteenz allows volunteers to sign up as a member, sign up for events, log hours and suggest new events for volunteering. This web site allows schools, organizations and businesses to add events that need volunteers.
“There are approximately 29,000 volunteers currently serving in our schools, and we appreciate each and every one of them,” said Debi Elfen, district volunteer coordinator.
ABOVE: Harrison Harward
