Student MEA members from Michigan State University performed their annual “Outreach to Teach” school makeover project at Lansing’s Kendon Elementary School.

Student MEA at MSU reaches out

More than 140 college students and community members volunteered at Lansing’s Kendon Elementary School recently to give the school a makeover. The project was part of an annual service project performed by the Michigan State University chapter of Student MEA, a preprofessional organization for prospective teachers.

Student MEA members and other volunteers repainted classrooms and the main office. Murals were painted on bare walls, cork strips and whiteboards were mounted in classrooms and fresh flowers were planted on school grounds.

“We had a great showing of dedicated members who all worked to make this school a better learning environment for students and teachers,” said Gary Scott, vice president of the MSU group.

Keane Nacional

Student MEA members elect new chair

Keane Nacional, a sophomore at the University of Michigan, will serve as chairperson of Student MEA beginning Sept. 1.

Elected by student members attending the Student MEA Professional Development Conference last month, Nacional has been active in the student program for the past year. He will serve as chairperson until Aug. 31, 2010. Student MEA members also elected Nacional as a delegate to attend the NEA’s Representative Assembly this summer.

Student MEA is a preprofessional organization for people preparing for the teaching profession in any of the higher education institutions of Michigan. Student chapters exist on several college and university campuses.

Student MEA members also elected Michael Card, also from the University of Michigan, to serve as vice chair. They elected three other students to serve as delegates at the NEA event: Heather Pilarz, Jeanette Grove and Mallory Marek, all students at Central Michigan University. Molly Preston, another Central student, was elected as an alternate.

For more information about the student program, go to www.mea.org/smea.

Updated: May 6, 2009 10:11 AM