We’re happy to report that another very successful and enjoyable Field Day at Great Oaks Village took place this month! And the Allegiant Experts team couldn’t be happier to have been a part of it. As part of our affiliation with The Young Lawyers Section of the Orange County Bar Association, who hosts the annual event, we volunteered our time at this year’s Field Day at Great Oaks Village and had a wonderful time.
Great Oaks Village is a residential foster community for children aged 6 to 18+ who have been removed from their homes due to neglect, abuse or abandonment. The annual Field Day event provides those who wish to volunteer their time with the opportunity to interact with the kids through a variety of activities. This year, members of the Allegiant Experts team partook in arts and crafts, helped out with food preparation and played a number of games with the youngsters.
Basketball, soccer, kickball and tug-of-war were among the athletic festivities. We must say, however, that the cookout was a special treat. Not only was the food scrumptious, but the time the lunch allowed us to personally connect with many of the children and other volunteers was as rewarding an experience as you can find. At Allegiant Experts, we highly recommend that you donate some of your time to this great organization.
Recently, Great Oaks Village celebrated the eleventh year of hosting the fantastic Educational Tutoring Program (ETP) provided by The Bridges of Light Foundation. The program offers the children of GOV continued educational support and mentoring. For many years, the ETP has helped to change the lives of young people who otherwise may not have had opportunities to develop their skills and build new relationships.
The Educational Tutoring Program has been truly life-changing for many kids at Great Oaks Village. Through personalized instruction, guidance and mentoring, the children in the program have been able to significantly increase their grades in school. On their website, The Bridges of Light Foundation reveals a number of fantastic statistics that highlight the benefits of the program.
In the first full year of the program, children who participated had a combined GPA that increased by 10%, they report, pointing out that each year, more students are enrolled in the program and their grade point averages continue to increase. In fact, 86% of the 9th graders in program that took the Algebra End-Of-Course state exam passed, compared to the State Average of 54%. About 15% of children received a 4.0 GPA and approximately 25% had a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
“The purpose of the ETP is to prepare children to become college bound young men and women, leading productive lives with mentors who will continue to guide them and help them succeed,” affirms The Bridges of Light Foundation, “For the children who do not go to college, we hire transitional specialists to assist them in doing tasks such as opening a bank account or simply applying for a job.”
At Allegiant Experts, we couldn’t be prouder of the work that Great Oaks Village and The Bridges of Light Foundation have done together. We highly recommend that you show them your support. If you’re interested in tutoring or mentoring a child, they would be happy to have your help! We encourage you to give them a call at 407-490-3290 or email bridgesoflight@bellsouth.net.