ETBU freshmen lead fall festivals at elementary schools

MARSHALL—Freshmen at East Texas Baptist University put smiles on the faces of students at two Marshall elementary schools when they led fall festivals on their campuses.

Emily PrevostStudents in “learning and leading” classes at ETBU conducted fall festivals at South Marshall and Lee elementary schools.

“Each class was responsible for hosting a game or activity booth,” said Emily Prevost, ETBU director of leadership development. “This year, we had all kinds of games, like ring toss, football throw, a cake walk, a fishing booth and even a pony cart ride.”

Fall service projects

Serving at Marshall school campuses is nothing new for ETBU students, noted Lisa Seeley, director of the university’s Great Commission Center.

“We hold a festival every fall semester at Lee Elementary as part of our partnership with Lee and as a service project for the freshmen in the learning and leading classes when they get to the servant leadership unit of the class,” she said.

A service project helps students understand the importance of giving back to the community where they live, Seeley noted.

“We added South Marshall this year because of the large freshman class on campus this fall,” she said.  New student enrollment at ETBU is up 11 percent compared to last year.

All first-time, full-time freshmen at ETBU are required to take the learning and leading class in their first semester.

Building skills

“The course is designed to help them build the skills and behaviors necessary to be a life-long learner and leader,” Provost said.

“We want our students to develop a lifestyle of serving others. One of the behaviors necessary to life-long learning and leading is to serve others. By serving in the community, it helps the students to learn humility, which then opens the student to new learning. The process builds credibility needed for leadership.”

At South Marshall, ETBU teamed up with the Parent Teacher Association, since the fall festival was held in conjunction with the organization’s annual fund-raiser—a hamburger supper and silent auction.

“The children were especially excited to see the game booths, and the parents were really surprised that all the activities were free,” Seeley said.

“At first, some of the children were afraid of our big guys—the athletes. But our ETBU students did a great job of interacting with the little children, and both groups had a great time.”

The ETBU students’ willingness to serve provided a wonderful time for parents and teachers, as well as students, Prevost noted.

Students, parents, teachers enriched

“I watched as a mom had the opportunity to relax with her youngest while looking on as her older two children played, because a college student was willing to supervise her two older children while they played the games and activities,” she said. 

“I loved hearing teachers who normally have to work the carnival themselves talk about how fun it was to spend time with their own children, rather than scrambling to set up booths and games.

“Serving others is part of our call as followers of Christ. It is important for us to consider the needs of others and support them. The fall festivals give ETBU the opportunity to support and encourage our local schools—the teachers, the administrators and also the children and their families.”