Community involvement is important because it allows you to make a positive difference, create connections, and foster a sense of belonging, which Searcy High School EAST has the privilege of doing.

Two groups of students had the opportunity to partner with Liberty Christian School, a small private school in Searcy, Ark., to help redesign their playground and open students' eyes to new technology.

Chloe Duncan and Stephanie Torres immediately created the project “Restore and Reignite” after seeing the crumbling playground at Liberty Christian School. They began by reaching out to Katie Williams, the school’s principal, to see if EAST could help in any way.

“Collaboration is the key to unlocking opportunities,” Chloe said. “When private schools like Liberty Christian School cannot write grants, organizations like EAST step in to make a difference.” 

Chloe and Stephanie started researching possible grants and age-appropriate equipment, taking measurements, and building a budget. The girls held monthly community partner meetings with Mrs. Williams to meet their personal goals. After many hours of research, the girls applied for a $41,000 grant through Kacey's Cash for Classrooms to fund the equipment for the playground. The girls recently received their grant application results and are so excited to watch their project come to life. 

“I felt excited and hopeful after submitting the grant application,” Chloe said. “Grant writing is very complex and requires thorough research. I am grateful for this experience and can't wait to see the funds put to good use.” 

Liberty Christian School teaches students ranging from Pre-K to sixth-grade and relies on teaching methods without the use of digital devices or internet access. Many students in the sixth-grade transfer to Ahlf Junior High School for seventh-grade, where technology is used daily. As a technology-based program, EAST stepped in to teach these students some computer basics. 

Caitlin Clutter, Eva Duncan, and Avery Evans partnered with Kailyn Raiford, a sixth-grade teacher at Liberty Christian School, to create monthly lesson plans. The girls traveled to the school once a month to teach the students software like Google Drive, Google Slides, Code.Org, and Google Docs. They also taught a lesson on writing and sending a professional email. 

Avery Evans, a former student at Liberty Christian School, is extremely passionate about helping others learn technology. Avery was not given the opportunity to enhance her technology skills before junior high, so it's important for her to give back and teach others. 

“Our project Liberty Lessons is important to me because I attended Liberty Christian School before transferring to Ahlf Junior High. I had never used a computer before seventh grade.” Avery said. “My hope is that with this project students are not only comfortable on the computer but confident as well.” 

EAST is about making a difference, getting out in the community, learning from your mistakes, trying something new, and celebrating your achievements. From jungle gyms to coding and endless community partner meetings—Searcy High School EAST is proud of the hard work and determination happening within our community and classroom.