Feedback!

After completing my project, I passed out a little feedback form. It reads as follows:

Please explain how your trip to the prison and your experience with the project has influenced you. Tell what your favorite aspect of the trip was. Tell if you would like to participate in this project again. Please give any other comments you may have about this project. 


Here are some responses:

"My overall experience with this project was truly amazing. This project taught me that not everyone in prison is a bad person, they just made one bad choice. It has also taught me to not judge people before meeting them. Because in my opinion, I was a little intimidated before entering, but I came to realize that they are just as nice and compassionate as we are. I would do this project again in a heartbeat."

"My trip to the prison was excellent! The prisoners were so thankful of our givings and were super nice! I would love to do this project again because even though they are in prison they are nice people and most of them just took blame for someone else. It helps teenagers that think everyone in prison belongs there realize they are people to and most of them are nicer than the people around them."

"I feel as though this experience greatly affected my class as well as myself in a positive way. It taught me to appreciate the simple things in life and that everyone deserves a second chance. I would definitely enjoy participating in this project again."

"This trip influenced me greatly because I loved the thought of helping these people and it really gave me a good feeling inside. I was happy to know that I made someone's Christmas a lot better. My favorite aspect was talking to the inmate. That was when I actually started to feel good for helping. I would love to do this project again."

"The trip to the prison was quite wonderful. The experience was heart warming. It influenced me to want to help others more than myself. My favorite aspect of the trip was meeting with the ladies and getting to know them. I would love to participate in this project again."

"This project was a wonderful idea. The prisoners were overjoyed to see that people still cared. Visiting them in their cells allowed a further appreciation for life. This project brought joy to so many people and should most definitely be done again. Spreading Christmas joy is always an amazing idea."

"I loved this project! It felt so nice to give back to the ladies at the prison. Sometimes we forget that prisoners are people and need love too. The best part about this project was talking and singing with the inmates. To see their smiles and the sparkle in their eyes after receiving our gifts of comfort items and time was truly rewarding. It warmed my heart to do this project. I would do this again!"

A Big Thank You To Mrs.Coretha!

I would like to give a huge thank you to Mrs.Coretha and her staff for working with me, and giving me the ability to share Christmas joy with those who are often forgotten during the holiday season. 

A Few Images From My Senior Project!

The Sophomores, Juniors, and their class sponsors are ready to head to the Correctional Center.

Juniors listening intently to the directions being given by Mrs.Coretha.

The Junior class waiting to give their gifts to their inmates.

Mrs.Coretha speaking to the senior class.

The Avoyelles Parish Women's Correctional Center decorated for Christmas.

Time to Spread a Little Cheer and Joy!

Here is a video of Mrs.Coretha Bonton speaking to the senior class about how important our gifts are going to be to the inmates. She also spoke of how we will be impacting the lives of the inmates for the better.

Here Mrs.Coretha Bonton, prison director, speaks to the sophomore and junior class about the Christmas season and its meaning and how thankful she is for what we are doing for her inmates.

I Present To You.... The Gifts!!!!

The gifts are packaged, wrapped, and ready for delivery! I can't wait to travel with the classes to give out our gifts!!! Don't They look nice??

Ready... Set.... Start Wrapping!!!!!!!!

It's so close!!!! Everyone is working so hard to make sure their gifts are wrapped nicely!!! I can not thank my classmates enough for all their hard work they have put in to help me with my senior project!

Time to Start Filling Boxes!!!!!

It's almost time to deliver our gifts. The Sophomore, Junior, and Senior classes are busy filling boxes and writing personal notes to the inmates! 

Our Supplies Are In!!!!!!

All of our supplies to package are set out and ready to be distributed into the gift boxes!!!

Project Budget

My Project Budget:

*Total Cost of All Hygiene Items- $1,489.22

Walmart Grant- $750.00

*Money Collected from Students- $688.00

________________________________________

Out of Pocket cost:       $51.22

*Items include: toothpastes, toothbrushes, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, germ-x, ramen noodles, candy canes, deodorant, and boxes

*National Honor Society collected money in jars to have a male teacher perform at the pep rally in front of the entire school.

Letter of Intent

Senior Project Letter of Intent

715 Jack’s Rd.

Hessmer, LA  71341

February 10, 2015

Avoyelles Public Charter School

201 Longfellow Rd.

Mansura, LA 71350

Dear Senior Project Committee:

My general area of interest for this project was community service. I was interested in doing something a little out of the ordinary. Most people, when considering doing community service think of volunteering at a shelter, or giving to needy children. I wanted to give back to those who are always forgotten because of a mistake that they made.

My senior project is to distribute hygiene items to the women’s prison in Cottonport. This event will be sponsored by the Avoyelles Public Charter School Chapter of the National Honor Society and will be carried out as the service project for the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior classes. During one class period on a designated day students will walk through an assembly line to package and wrap a gift for an inmate. Students will then travel by bus on two different days with class sponsors to the prison and will be escorted through the prison to the bunks of the inmates. Students will then take about fifteen minutes to visit and give their personally wrapped and packaged gift to their inmate. I think this project will be a stretch for me because I have never taken on a full project such as this. It will be challenging to get all items to the school to be packaged, account for all inmates so no one is forgotten, and the most difficult challenge will be to try to touch the hearts of my fellow classmates by participating in this project. We are applying for a grant for Walmart in hopes to cover the cost of this project. The expected cost of this project is about $400 after our grant, if it is approved.

Mrs.Donna Saucier and Mrs. Julie Roy will be my mentors for this project. I plan to visit the women’s prison to speak with the prison director, Mrs.Coretha, to gather more information on what exactly we could contribute to the prisoners during the Christmas season. Also while meeting with the prison director, we will discuss possible days to visit the prison to distribute the gifts. Mrs.Coretha has been the director of the prison for over twenty years and has seen how hard the holiday season is on some of the incarcerated.

This project represents a learning stretch for me for many reasons. This project will teach me the responsibility of carrying out a full project, much larger than a regular school project. I will have to sit down with superiors to discuss my ideas in a more professional way than what I am normally use to. More importantly this project will stretch my views of people, this project will teach me to be more compassionate and caring for others which will help me later on in my career as a registered nurse. I understand that if I in anyway plagiarize during the course of this project, that I will receive a failing grade on my Senior Project, and may not receive my diploma, therefore not graduating with my class on time.

Sincerely,

Kaitlynn Jones