I know, I know. People just don’t answer their home phones anymore. And that is assuming they still have a phone to answer. This fact alone is what makes this year’s Carmel Education Foundation Telethon much more challenging. But if any organization can climb every mountain, keep its nose to the grindstone or get tough when the going gets tough, it is the mighty CEF.
Starting tomorrow, the outgoing calls from the Carmel High School phone bank will begin to ring into Carmel homes. From today through Thursday, a student dialing for dollars will be hopeful each evening that a kind, generous voice on the other end of the line will respond positively to the solicitation.Of course, assuming the phone is actually answered.
Made up of students, parents, volunteers and teachers dedicated to making Carmel Clay Schools better, the CEF’s major fundraiser is the annual telethon, which is responsible for providing funds to do the extras Carmel students have enjoyed for decades. In the form of grants, CEFawarded the following projects this year:
The “All About Electives” grant funded the development of a series of brief videos on the CHS YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/user/CarmelhighSchool1– which introduces electives at CHS. The videos were designed to help students and their parents decide which electives to take and how electives helped students prepare for college or a career.
The “Lyrical Language of Literacy” grant allowed the 11 CCS elementary music teachers to develop new curriculum and lesson plans that integrated music and literature from around the world for all CCS elementary students.
The Carmel Elementary School “ALL-STAR After School Club” grant supported an after-school tutoring program for students in grades two through five who are not meeting grade-level standards.
Airing on Bright House Networks Channel 99 this month is the performing arts portion of the telethon. On Feb. 16, choirs from each of the schools within the district gathered to showcase their talent, and again, coax you into a giving state of mind. Telethon organizer, hard worker and longtime volunteer around town, Janet Corbin said, “The CEF Telethon is a tradition in Carmel with a rich history of supporting all students in Carmel. I am excited about the changes we have made this year.”
When caller ID shows a 317 area code this week, let your guard down, take a chance and answer the phone. Carmel will continue to be great because you did.