A Successful School’s Out Celebration
The Olney Community Collaborative celebrated the end of the school year and start of summer with students and families by hosting our first annual School’s Out Event on Saturday, June 14th! With our event partners –including local businesses, council people, and volunteers – we shared food, games, and activities at the Olney Community Collaborative office and on the block. Students of all ages played games, enjoyed video games together in a video game truck, and had their faces painted by a face painting artist.
Outside on the block, Olney Community Collaborative staff and volunteers served fresh popcorn and spun cotton candy for the community. LB’s Lounge grilled hot dogs and hamburgers for an afternoon cook-out. Neighbors had fun jumping rope and playing matches of table ping pong. The event was a celebration and an opportunity for community members to gather together and kick off the summer.
We also engaged over fifty community members in our neighborhood planning process! Olney youth and their families reflected on what they love about Olney + Fern Rock and shared their big ideas for the community. Students also made their voices heard through an engagement activity called “Buckets” – where students received ten coins, representing $10,000 dollars, and dropped their coins into the buckets where they would like to see investment. Many youth would like to see investment into safety, streets, and playground improvements in the neighborhood. Their feedback will directly integrate into our neighborhood plan, which will represent a collaborative, five-year vision for community development in Olney + Fern Rock.
We send a special thank you to our donors and partners including:
Councilperson Cindy Bass’ Office
Councilperson Anthony Phillips’ Office
Shoprite – Collins Family
We must also celebrate our Volunteers. Without you, this event would not have been possible. This event was a success largely to your presence, support, and dedication to Olney!
We look forward to seeing our family and friends at our Back to School Event in August.
