The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point�s chapter of the Student Wisconsin Education Association (StWEA) recently received six out of seven state awards at the organization�s annual state representative assembly in Green Bay.

The chapter won the State Outstanding Chapter Excellence Award and its president, Elisha Writt, Clintonville, received the State Outstanding Student Leader Award. Maggie Beeber of UWSP�s School of Education won the State Outstanding Adviser Award.

The Jefferson Elementary Latchkey Program, coordinated by students Amanda Haack, Madison, and Sarah Lukaszewski, Winona, Minn., won the State Outstanding National Education Association (NEA) Community Learning Through Americas Schools (C.L.A.S.S.) Grant Project Award. The free program is run by StWEA volunteers who offer children between kindergarten and fourth grade a safe, supervised and structured environment. Snacks, games, playground activities, art and learning opportunities are provided.

The Latchkey program was developed by StWEA and has been operating since 1989 with the help of the NEA C.L.A.S.S. grant and funding from local businesses and organizations. The program especially helps families who may not be able to afford other childcare options.

Two of the state winners were nominated by StWEA. Perry Cook, a UWSP professor of education, received the State Outstanding Teacher Educator of the Year award. Cook was nominated by Sarah Spielbauer, StWEA treasurer, for his extraordinary enthusiasm in teaching and his ability to relay those feelings to his students.

Eileen Richardson, a kindergarten teacher at Main Elementary School, Wausau, won the State Outstanding Cooperating Teacher of the Year award. She was nominated by Lukaszewski in appreciation of her support and dedication to Lukaszewski while she worked under Richardson as a student teaching intern this semester.

With about 350 members, UWSP�s StWEA chapter is twice as large as any other like it in the state, said Beeber, a co-adviser with Henry St. Maurice, professor of education, and Dayle Upham, associate professor of education.

A large number of the members participate in a variety of projects, Beeber added. Besides the Latchkey program and tutoring at Jefferson, StWEA provides childcare at parent-teacher conferences at Jackson Elementary in Stevens Point and peer advising in the School of Education. They also are active with Destination ImagiNation (formerly Odyssey of the Mind) and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Portage County.

Additionally, the chapter annually decorates the Portage County Health Care Center for the holidays, exhibits at the Career Expo, honors professors of education during American Education Week and Stevens Point teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, celebrates Dr. Seuss� birthday and NEA�s Read Across America Project in March. This February they raised over $600 for Books from the Heart, a project of the Stevens Point Area Education Association.

StWEA also co-sponsors the annual fall colloquium with the School of Education, featuring speakers on a variety of education related topics and issues. Recently, over 30 chapter members participated in the Outreach to Teach project held at Elmore Elementary School, Green Bay.

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