ASEZ Teams Up With Discovery STEM Academy for a Character Building Education

On January 15, 2020, ASEZ students gathered at Discovery STEM Academy in Newport News. ASEZ hosted a character-building education with elementary school children. The event was in line with ASEZ’s Reduce Crime Together campaign that’s held worldwide. The goal was to teach students how to be positive influences on others and themselves. This positive influence can lead to a crime-free future.

Character Education for a Crime-Free Future

Dee Wren, an ASEZ member from Old Dominion University, started the education with a game. She explained how colors can have different meanings and reflect different personalities. For example, yellow can mean energy or happiness, which is why smiley faces are yellow. So, students looked at a color wheel and selected a color that best describes them.

ASEZ students also prepared a presentation for the education. The presentation touched on topics like self-perception and self-respect. It emphasized the importance of students knowing who they are and ways they can think about their future. In other words, it helps young students develop a positive self-identity. Students also learned about positive communication and how to understand others’ emotions. In the end, they created business cards that describe their personality with the colors they selected earlier.

Participants Express Their Appreciation

A fourth-grader, Harmony, expressed how excited she was to have ASEZ helping her. “Thank you to ASEZ. You’re very helpful!” she said.

Jeremy Hall, the student involvement specialist for Newport News public schools, joined the event at STEM Academy. “The message today about self-respect and understanding who you are is vital,” he said. “It’s important not just to students but to all of us. This world is bigger than we are, and we can make a difference.”

Cleanup at Stuart Gardens

Then, on January 17, ASEZ and STEM Academy came together for a cleanup at Stuart Gardens. ASEZ helped the students collect garbage and debris around the area. The cleanup helped students to learn ways they can help protect their environment.

The youth are the leaders of tomorrow. So, it’s important to engage young students now so they can have a positive impact on society. To see more events from the Church of God, visit the Activities page!