Crockett Elementary is an under-funded elementary school in downtown Phoenix that serves African refugees, homeless, and under-privileged children. Crockett has a student population of 485 with 100% receiving free breakfast and lunch.
In fall 2013, CGSA and AHC members and faculty volunteers spent the weekend enhancing the school's interior courtyard by planting trees and plants to provide shade for the students. The groups raised the funds through garage sales and bake sales to purchase the trees and landscaping materials.
The spring 2013 project was to design and paint a mural inside the cafeteria/assembly room to create a cheerful atmosphere for the students. The CGSA, AHC, and faculty volunteers spent two weekends in March cleaning, preparing, and painting the mural on the wall. Hugh Downs School instructor, Karen Stewart, created the design and color scheme for the project.
Often, the families receive financial aid for food, but household items and clothes are not funded. In October 2012, the two projects selected consisted of organizing the resource room for the school’s clothing and household items it provides to families in need and conducting a clothing and household item drive to collect items for the family resource room.
The school currently has a large room filled with donations but the room needed to be organized to better assist families in locating items. The group also collected hangers for the clothing and purchased clothing racks to display and store the items.
The CGSA also organized a spring service day in March 2012 to benefit students and staff of Crockett Elementary school in Phoenix. The first two projects selected were painting an 86 foot long mural, designed by HDSHC graduate student Karen Stewart, and helping inventory and organize the teachers' resource room. The Hugh Downs School's undergraduate student organization, the Association of Human Communication (AHC), also participated in the community service project providing supplies and volunteers. The AHC also collected children's books to donate to the school's library.
CGSA held a fundraiser in December 2011 and local retailers donated some materials such as paint, supplies, shelving, etc.
The relationship between the Hugh Downs School and Crockett Elementary is an investment in kids who will be future ASU students, helps get undergraduate students into the classroom, and opens doors for research.