Drax’s Classroom of the Month for September was awarded to third-grade students at Jesus the Good Shepherd School in Monroe for making good progress in their studies, and being committed to achieving their goals.
Their teacher Sara Jones said: “The Classroom of the Month Program is such a great way to support teachers and students and show appreciation for the exciting things happening in their classrooms. Introducing the students to college at an early age is so important in helping them to understand all their options. It’s great that the college community is getting involved in the area schools to spark the students’ interest in studying within our community.”
The program has been developed by Drax in partnership with the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) to inspire local students to start thinking about their future and what they can achieve, as part of the energy company’s ongoing commitment to supporting education in the communities local to its operations.
A different class each month is awarded ‘Classroom of the Month’ by Drax and receives a visit from ULM representatives to reward the pupils for their hard work and show them some of the options available to them as they advance through school.
Drax has arranged for representatives from the University’s athletics department to visit the schools to talk to the students, raise awareness of the college and answer any questions they might have. The students also receive two tickets each to a Warhawk football, basketball, or baseball game and meet Ace, the team mascot.
Twice during the school year, the Classroom of the Month winners will be invited to the campus for a tour. The students will get to experience the university campus and learn about higher education opportunities right in their hometown.
Drew Bellipanni, Partnership Services Coordinator at ULM, said: “This program is a chance to give back to our local schools and teachers who have worked hard throughout the pandemic to continue teaching our children. We hope Classroom of the Month will motivate students to continue studying as well as see what college has to offer.”
Executive Vice President of Drax’s Pellet Operations, Matt White, said: “It’s so important that the next generation has equal access to education. Even though these children are in the early stages of their school careers, we hope this program will inspire them by showing them what opportunities are available to them in the future.”
Drax is committed to supporting the communities local to its operations and is this year drawing up plans for a more targeted community spend.
In 2021, Drax supported education and skills in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama and provided donations to help communities hit by natural disasters and Covid and work to support sustainable forestry.
In Louisiana, support included Hurricane Ida relief efforts, sponsoring an environmental education workshop for teachers and launching a Classroom of the Month program.