WEP and Wilson County Schools hosted the first ever Community Partners Celebration Breakfast on Thursday, May 21 at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. The celebration was a small way of saying a big Thank You to the hundreds of businesses and industries, agencies, churches and faith-based groups, civic clubs and other organizations who have provided support for our students and educators this year in our schools.
More than 400 community partners have been identified so far this school year – and the list continues to grow. Each school designated a partnership manager who has helped the school staff to identify community partners who have a relationship with that school. Partners include any groups who have contributed funds, goods or services, in-kind support, manpower, or other forms of assistance. WEP assists the school district by training and encouraging partnership managers with ways to identify, cultivate and recognize community partners.
Representatives from partner organizations joined the partnership managers, school administrators and WEP board members at the inaugural breakfast celebration. Attendees enjoyed a catered meal and a brief program that included visual presentations of partners engaged at schools, a salute to partners by the Superintendent, hand-written thank-you notes from students, and the presentation of the 2015 Jim & Carolyn Hunt Friend of Education Award to BB&T.
WEP looks forward to more opportunities to celebrate and recognize community partners.