Pensacola IB students backpack program flies high


  • June 9, 2015
  • /   Staff Reports
  • /   education
A group of Pensacola High School students joined with the Escambia County School District’s maintenance department to help fight child hunger. Pensacola High School’s International Baccalaureate coordinator Laura Nelms was approached by Scott Stillman of the district's maintenance department, to find students to help raise money for children. “The IB program teaches our students that community service is an integral part of being a good world citizen,” Nelms said. “Each student is required to develop and complete a service project to give back to the local, national, or international community.” The mission of this project is for students to create experiences that help them learn beyond what can be taught in the classroom. They learn leadership skills, how to work with others, and how to plan and initiate activities. When Nelms heard about the backpack project she told Stillman: "I have the perfect student to help, Scotty McGaugh.” Scotty McGaugh pulled together a team of IB student leaders to help implement an action plan to raise money to feed students in need. What could be better than "students feeding students" replied Scott Stillman. The high school students are raising money and awareness to help the maintenance department’s backpack program, a program that fills backpacks with easy to open, nutritious snacks to be sent home with kids on Friday afternoons. “My dad and I had been planning a project to raise money and awareness for cancer research, a mission that is still important to us because we lost my grandmother to cancer,” said Scotty McGaugh. “But after I heard that people were raising money so kids right here in Pensacola would have something to eat over the weekend, I asked my dad if we could shift our focus.” “I think my grandmother would approve,” said Scotty McGaugh. DSCN0060_1 McGaugh’s special project, “Flight for Pennies,” takes off Sunday. He and his father, Steve McGaugh who is a pilot for Delta airlines, plan to depart in their Beechcraft B58 on June 14 from Pensacola and head south to Key West. From there they will head north with stops planned in St. Simons, Ga., Baltimore, Nantucket, Portland, Maine and Boston. Scotty McGaugh will stay in Boston for a few weeks to attend summer school at Harvard and then the flight will resume. “We will continue west with stops in Niagara Falls; Madison, Wisconsin; South Dakota; Idaho and Oregon,” continued Scotty McGaugh. “From there we will head south along the west coast through California and return to Florida. You can see the flight plan on my website.” Flight plans and the many ways someone can help him raise funds are explained on his part of the project’s web site at http://backpackprojectusa.com/donations/flight_for_pennies. Suggested donations start at $7 and go up to a captain sponsorship that includes having a 5-inch x 5-inch logo on the aircraft. Supporters can also donate any amount at www.gofundme.com/flightforpennies. The other students currently involved with backpackprojectusa.com are Ariel Noethlich, Tristan Wu, and Will Langhorne. Ariel Noethlich is helping to promote the maintenance department’s Fishing Rodeo planned for Labor Day weekend. She has been out spreading the word that only $2.50 can fill a backpack. Noethlich has already collected enough in donations to fill hundreds of backpacks, and she is just getting started. Tristan Wu and Will Langhorne are working together to plan the Tri-State Trek, a 700 mile kayak course through Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. They plan to start in Gulfport, Miss., and paddle to Dauphin Island. They are currently seeking vessel sponsors willing to pledge a set amount for every mile they cover. Donation levels start at crew at $1.50 per mile and go up to admiral at $5 per mile. They plan to start their trek on Aug. 8. A map of the course can be seen on their page at http://backpackprojectusa.com/donations/tri-state_trek. “What is so impressive about the backpack project is how this group of high-performing students have taken what is required and have gone above and beyond to give back to their local community, our very own students within Escambia County School District,” Nelms said.” It is hard to fathom how many students go home for the weekend and have no food to eat.” The students joined with the maintenance department to help raise more funds to supply food for the students on the weekend. Their drive to help those who are less fortunate says a lot about their character and is truly inspirational. “Even with their intense academic schedule their senior year, they realize the difference they can make and are working on ways to expand the backpack project even more,” Nelms said. “I am proud of these students for the huge impact they have made.” It is also exciting to note that “backpack-project-usa” will not end when these four students graduate next June. They are already recruiting younger students to team with them this coming year and carry the project forward."
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