Ninety-five Urbana High School students will be recognized by Urbana School District #116 and the City of Urbana for their volunteer service in the community at the second annual Mayoral Recognition Program. The program is Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in the Urbana High School Gymnasium from 6 to 7 p.m. Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Christopher Span, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Chief of Staff and Associate Chancellor for Administration and PreK-12 Initiatives.
A Student Success Resource Fair, featuring UHS Clubs, the UIUC Principal Scholar Program, Parkland College, the Urbana Park District, The Urbana Free Library, and more will precede this event from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Musical and special performances begin at 5 p.m., featuring the UHS Jazz Combo, UHS A Capella, UHS Guard, and more.
During the past year UHS students put in 5,184 hours of service. That equates to 216 days –over seven months – of helping others, all while going to school, working jobs, and participating in extracurricular activities. Examples of their service include: students helped with the construction of five Habitat Homes; they donated 32 pints of blood, which translates to 96 people receiving life-saving transfusions; students also made a concerted effort to stamp-out hunger in the form of numerous food drives, markets, breakfasts, holiday dinners, and meals served to people in the community; and yet, this is only part of the list of service UHS students gave to others this school year.
“We are celebrating Urbana students who choose to help their community. They are learning to be lifelong volunteers and leaders. It’s been said that not everyone will do great things but everyone can do small things with great love and passion. Each friend we make, each person we help, each act of kindness makes our community stronger and healthier. In this second year of the program, the student volunteers almost doubled their hours of service compared to last year. I also want to recognize the families, teacher mentors, and school district administrators and staff who supported their work,” Mayor Diane Wolfe Marlin said.
Urbana School District Superintendent, Dr. Jennifer Ivory-Tatum recognized the importance of these beneficial community contributions students have made these past months.
“This year we have seen even more of our young people giving their time and talents in service to our community and neighborhoods,” Dr. Ivory-Tatum said. “These students embody what it means to be an Urbana Tiger, as a positive impact to the UHS school community but also ensuring the greater community is ‘Better Together.’ Thank you, Mayor Marlin, for recognizing these leaders, and highlighting our schools, through the second annual Mayoral Recognition Program.”
The Mayoral Recognition Program is open to any UHS student who completes 30 hours of volunteer service during the academic year. Students who complete at least 30 service hours will receive a Certificate of Service from Urbana Mayor Marlin, Superintendent Dr. Ivory-Tatum, and UHS Principal Taren Nance.