Coffee elementary students Plant Their Feet with help from SGC

Article and Photos by J.R. Charles 

       The early morning sun splintered through the Georgia pines as three school buses pulled in front of Peterson Hall on the campus of South Georgia College, a large crowd of college students and staff members anxiously awaiting the fifth graders of Indian Creek Elementary.  An eruption of applause met the elementary students’ ears as they strolled from the bus, through a tunnel of high-fives, and onto the concrete steps of the collegiate hall.  

       One thing was for sure: this was not going to be an ordinary field trip.  

       After learning about chemical reactions in the newly renovated Stubbs Science Center, planting pine seedlings on SGC’s conservatory, listening to their own and others’ heartbeats with the Nursing Department, and eating a hearty lunch from Burger King, the fifth graders could not wait to come back to the college.  The sentiment is exactly what the Coffee County School System and SGC had hoped for: elementary school students are interested in attending college, and they haven’t even started high school! 

       Based on the old saying, “Plant their feet where you want them to grow,” the Plant Their Feet program is a partnership that will track the participating children as they progress through the Coffee County School system.  The 2006-2007 pilot year of the program brought 64 West Green Elementary fifth graders to SGC, and this year, the college has expanded to program to include Indian Creek Elementary, adding 130 new pairs of feet to the program.  

       Dr. Torri Lilly, President of South Georgia College, explains that the program is based on her own experiences as a child growing up in West Virginia.  Her parents completed the 8th grade and expected her to go farther.  “As far back as I can remember, my parents told me that I would go to college.  There was never a doubt about that,” Dr. Lilly explains.  “The Plant Their Feet program is designed to put that same seed into these children’s minds.” 

       The college hopes these campus visits will encourage the students to perform well during their years in middle and high school.  Through a careful study of the students’ academic performance, the Plant Their Feet directors will search for any correlations between the drop-out rate among high school students, graduation rates, and the post-secondary enrollment in colleges and universities.  

       “We believe that early intervention will give these students the hope and drive needed to excel in their studies and believe in their potential,” says Amy Prodan, Director of the Plant Their Feet program.  “It gives them an opportunity to see where education can take them, places they would never have gone without it.” 

       In addition to studying the students’ academic trends, South Georgia College plans to send its staff members and professors into the elementary schools through the 2007-2008 school year, giving the children an inside advantage into the world of higher education.  The hope is that the motivational trips to the campus and constant encouragement from SGC’s faculty and staff will aid the children’s academic performance and personal expectations in planning their post-high school studies. 

       James Sirmans, former principal of West Green Elementary, says the Plant Their Feet program has already made a sizable impression upon his students.  Last year, his fifth grade class couldn’t stop talking about the college after they returned to classes the next day.  

       “It really made an impact on my fifth graders,” Sirmans said the day after the first Plant Their Feet trip to South Georgia College.  He believes the program will allow his students to see college as a prize while progressing through middle and high school.  “It's very important for our kids to visit the college now.  Instead of SGC being a bunch of buildings or a place just for older kids, it is now a place of excitement. And that was only after one visit.” 

       Parents, administrators, and teachers of Indian Creek Elementary are also excited about the impact the Plant Their Feet program will have on this group of students. After only one visit, the students at Indian Creek Elementary cannot wait for their next visit, and that is encouraging news to the ears of educators. 

       “It’s never too early for young people to begin to make plans for their future,” says Indian Creek Elementary Principal Wendell Stone. He says allowing students to learn about college life adds value to the quality of education, benefiting those who choose to succeed early. “It’s also preparing them to realize that, while a college education is hard work, the benefits are immeasurable. If the Plant Their Feet Program inspires at least one or two students to work hard and to see the value of an education, then this program is well worth the time and effort put into it.” 

       Not only has the Plant Their Feet program earned praise from educators, but it has also garnered support from business leaders and the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.  Contributions from Ambling University Development Group and its construction partners, who built the new college residence complex Tiger Village, have planted the seeds of education with their financial support.  To date, supporters of the Plant Their Feet program have contributed $45,000 to the educational effort, and last year, the SGC Foundation committed itself to raise $100,000 in college scholarship money for the 2006-07 pilot class from West Green Elementary. 

            With an excellent foundation and support from the community, the college and the Coffee County School System have high hopes for the future of Plant Their Feet and the children who put down roots at SGC.