FOR INFORMATION:
\nKatie Quine
\nMarketing and Communications Manager
\nThe Riley Institute at Furman University
\n864.294.3368; katie.quine@furman.edu<\/p>\n
Emerging Public Leaders winners announced<\/strong><\/p>\n High school seniors from around the state are being recognized for creating service projects that help children in foster care, elementary school students and adolescents from low- income families and people experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n The seniors are winners of the Riley Institute at Furman University\u2019s Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) service project competition.<\/p>\n The Emerging Public Leaders program imparts public leadership skills and knowledge to high school seniors, with a particular focus on leading in diverse communities. The summer before their senior year in high school, participants spend a week at Furman where they explore topics related to engaging in the community, analyzing critical issues and practicing ethical leadership. They also develop communication and presentation skills and plan for the implementation of service projects that address needs in their communities.<\/p>\n Over the course of their senior year, the students plan and implement projects and then present completed projects the following spring. Due to COVID-19, this year\u2019s students prepared online presentations that were submitted to the judges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Student projects are judged on the basis of vision, planning, execution, program impact, presentation skills and project sustainability. Winners are awarded cash prizes to expand or replicate projects. EPL wishes to thank its generous sponsors: State Farm, Spinx and Walmart.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s winners are: Natalie Geiger and Ellis McLarty, Next High School and Wade Hampton Fine Arts Center, Greenville, S.C. Second Place (Project receives $500) Third Place (Each project receives $300) Ellie Toler, Spartanburg Day School, Spartanburg, S.C. Honorable Mention (Project receives $100) For more information about Emerging Public Leaders, contact Melanie Armstrong at melani e.armstrong@furman.edu or 864-294-3688.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" High school seniors from around the state are being recognized for creating service projects that help children in foster care, elementary school students and adolescents from low- income families and people experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","update-categories":[8,18],"class_list":["post-444","furman-update","type-furman-update","status-publish","hentry","furman-update-category-emerging-public-leaders","furman-update-category-news-release"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpressmu-1266771-5793343.cloudwaysapps.com\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpressmu-1266771-5793343.cloudwaysapps.com\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpressmu-1266771-5793343.cloudwaysapps.com\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/furman-update"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wordpressmu-1266771-5793343.cloudwaysapps.com\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/444\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpressmu-1266771-5793343.cloudwaysapps.com\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"furman-update-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpressmu-1266771-5793343.cloudwaysapps.com\/riley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/update-categories?post=444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nFirst Place (Each project receives $700)
\nRund Abdelnabi, Greenville Tech Charter High School, Piedmont, S.C.
\nAbdelnabi\u2019s \u201cPillowcase Project\u201d provided children who are in foster care with personalized pillowcases and supplies that they can take with them as they move from place to place.<\/p>\n
\nGeiger and McLarty\u2019s project, \u201cBulldogs Achieving Creative Happiness,\u201d provided free 30- minute weekly music lessons, taught by music students at the Fine Arts Center, to low- income students at League Elementary.<\/p>\n
\nAriel Meriwether, Strom Thurmond High School, Johnston, S.C.
\nMeriwether\u2019s project, \u201cThe Red Badge,\u201d collected and distributed menstrual products to individuals experiencing financial hardship and homelessness.<\/p>\n
\nNayha Hussain, Riverside High School, Greer, S.C.
\nHussain\u2019s project, \u201cCooking for a Cause,\u201d taught cooking classes to low-income adolescents in Greenville County. Her classes focused on preparing healthy, affordable, delicious meals.<\/p>\n
\nToler\u2019s project, \u201cPositivity Pouches,\u201d assembled care packages, which contained hygiene and menstrual products, for women at a Spartanburg food pantry.<\/p>\n
\nMadison Pollock, Dutch Fork High School, Irmo, S.C.
\nPollock\u2019s project, \u201cGirls Fighting Back,\u201d organized a self-defense class for young women at her school. SASS Go volunteered their defense training services.<\/p>\n