It’s no secret that at Louisa County Public Schools – and all throughout Louisa County – there’s a consistent emphasis on kindness, positivity, and citizenship. Each school year, students and staff regularly work together to complete community service projects, host kindness rallies, and more.
In recognition of these efforts, Louisa County Public Schools was selected to receive the Virginia Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Service Award. The award is given to individuals or organizations in 11 different categories. LCPS was recognized in the outstanding Educational Organization category, which includes all public schools, private schools, universities, and other educational entities throughout Virginia.
LCPS administrators received the prestigious award during an official ceremony hosted by Governor Glenn Youngkin at the Governor's Executive Mansion in Richmond on November 13. During the ceremony, Governor Youngkin highlighted the outstanding work of LCPS and its combined efforts with the Louisa community to make the world around them a better place.
“The resilience, generosity, and commitment of these volunteers exemplify the best of Virginia,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “It is my pleasure to recognize these honorees for the positive impact they have had in our Commonwealth and in the lives of their fellow Virginians.”
LCPS was nominated for the award by the Louisa County Chamber of Commerce and was selected to receive its award after a rigorous application and review process. Tracy Clark, who serves as the Executive Director of the Louisa County Chamber of Commerce, led the effort to nominate LCPS. She said the school division’s consistent emphasis on community service and kindness made them a deserving candidate for the award.
“LCPS is a beacon of excellence and serves as the cornerstone of our community,” Clark said. “They embrace the honor and responsibility of shaping the minds and futures of the students they serve. LCPS firmly believes that by engaging in acts of kindness and service, they can create a ripple effect that inspires others to join in and collectively build a more caring and compassionate community.”
LCPS Superintendent Doug Straley and Louisa County School Board chairman Greg Strickland both cited the support the school division receives throughout the community as a major factor in the school division’s success.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our students, staff, and community members,” Straley said. “We call ourselves ‘TeamLCPS’ because we know it takes the support of an entire community to be successful, and that’s what we have in Louisa County.”
“This award is a testament to the spirit of volunteerism that is alive in well within the students, staff, and community members in Louisa County,” added Strickland.
The Governor’s Office cited several LCPS initiatives in its recognition of the school division, including:
-
LCPS Community Clean-Ups: during one Asynchronous Learning Day each school year, hundreds of students and staff members volunteer to clean up litter from local roadways. During each event, students and staff clean more than 35 miles worth of roads.
-
Meals of Hope: during the school division’s January 2023 Asynchronous Learning Day, students and staff partnered to package more than 8,000 meals. Each meal pack included a handwritten note of kindness. Meals were then distributed throughout the county thanks to a collaboration with the Louisa County Resource Council.
-
First Responder Car Wash: At least once a year, elementary students volunteer to work alongside local first responders to clean their fire trucks, police cars, and other emergency service vehicles.
-
Rally 4 Kindness: LCPS hosted a division-wide Kindness Rally in April 2023, bringing together all 5,000+ students and 1,000+ staff members. The upbeat and engaging rally featured live music, games, and motivational speakers. The Rally 4 Kindness brought students of all ages together to focus on kindness, compassion, and positivity.
Louisa County Public Schools also hosts “Kindness Month” each October in correlation with Anti-Bullying Month. For this past October, LCPS focused its efforts on supporting veterans and military members through a month-long initiative called “Operation Kindness.” As part of the effort, LCPS raised more than $5,000 for the Wounded Warriors project, which provides healthcare to injured veterans. LCPS also created more than 400 care packages from the Richmond Veterans Affairs Medical Center, served more than 150 appreciation meals to veterans, and created a patriotic mural for the local Mineral VFW building.
“Here at LCPS, we believe there is nothing more important than helping our students reach their maximum potential as great citizens and great leaders,” Straley said.” I’m so proud of the fact that our team takes a tremendous amount of pride in taking care of our community.”
An official press release announcing the winners was sent to all school divisions throughout Virginia on Tuesday. For more details concerning the awards process, visit https://servevirginia.org/news-and-events/2023-governors-awards/.