FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 26, 2010

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgc.edu

Plant Their Feet Experiences Thrill of College Theater

Almost 50 eighth graders who were participants in the original Plant Their Feet (PTF) group returned to SGC recently for several hours of on-campus activities.

Plant Their Feet began in 2006. The fifth grade class at West Green Elementary took part in the inaugural year of the program. SGC brought those fifth graders to campus throughout the school year in order to acquaint the students with college life. The goal of the program is show the students the importance of completing an education and encourage them to enroll in SGC when they graduate from high school.

The group arrived on campus after school and participated in a special activity hosted by SGC faculty members Andrew DiNicola, an instructor of English and Katrice Driggers, an instructor of learning support reading. Over the years, the PTF group has taken part in a number of different activities, including science workshops, outdoors events and career seminars. This time, they enjoyed a different kind of activity. Mr. DiNicola billed his time with the group as a dramatic workshop. “We tried to bring out the thespian in each of them by allowing the students to participate in exercises that included improvisation, mime, monologue, dialogue, and prop plays,” said Mr. DiNicola. Throughout most of the 90-minute presentation, the students worked onstage in small groups; the final exercise, however, showcased the best actors from each of the five groups. Overall, the workshop offered these young people a time of imagination and possibility. “Although we will never be sure of the particular outcome of planting their feet on the path toward college, we can certainly be sure that we planted a seed of inspiration within each of them. And we all know that gaining inspiration is the first step toward a life of success and greatness,” said Mr. DiNicola. “By the end of the session, many of the young people were beginning to see the academic life as a life teeming with enthusiasm and joy. Indeed, the primary goal of the program is to set young people on the path toward higher education; therefore, by planting their feet on the stage of a college theatre, we showed them that being a college student can be fun and exciting.”

“This recent activity shows the students just one in the host of academic programs and activities that can be pursued upon entering college. When students see what options are available for them in the academic setting, it will inspire them to work hard and set their sights on bigger and better things for their lives,” said PTF program director Amy Hancock.

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is a two-year institution in the University System of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty.