The sky was overcast, and there was a slight chill in the air, but the children at Polk Elementary School wore warm, shining smiles as they waited for the blow of the whistle that would signify the beginning of their egg hunt.
This egg hunt is just one of the community service projects LSU’s Black Student Union has decided to provide for a local elementary school.
Among the area schools nominated by BSU members at the beginning of the semester, Polk Elementary School was chosen as the adoptive school.
Teachers like fourth grade instructor Dr. Donna Washington are glad Polk was selected for the program and feel the community service events initiated by LSU’s BSU have a positive effect on the students at her school.
“It’s important to have programs like this to establish more of a connection with LSU and the surrounding community,” Washington said .
BSU volunteers organized this particular service project exclusively for pre-kindergarten through second grade students.
Biological sciences freshman Erica Washington served as the event’s facilitator.
“We chose this event because we believed that it would be the most fun for the students because it would provide everyone the opportunity to participate,” she said.
Each student raced around the gated park area collecting eggs.
However, these were not traditional hard-boiled, hand-dyed eggs. Colorful, card stock egg-shaped cutouts were strategically hidden by the BSU members.
After all the hidden eggs had been gathered, BSU members gave prizes to the student who collected the largest number of eggs as well as to the student who discovered the egg with a golden sticker.
Solid chocolate rabbits were awarded to two students from each grade level.
However, none of the participants walked away empty-handed. The other children received Easter bags containing special treats like candy and plastic eggs.
Political science junior Desmond Stevens enjoyed his role in the egg hunt.
“A part of me is still a kid,” Stevens said. “So I look forward to events like this which allow me the opportunity to interact with young people in our area.”
Business pre-law junior A’Tiffa Wilson likes working with children and finds programs such as these beneficial to the development of the children and the community as a whole.
“It’s important that we continue to reach out to these students with programs like these,” said Wilson. “Helping the children who are a part of our community improves the entire community.”
Dr. Washington believes activities like the egg hunt provide entertainment for the children but also open the door for other types of learning.
“It’s important Polk students are exposed to the presence of African-American college students,” she said. “The students look to these students as role models and will emulate their positive leadership.”