Elevate Summer Internship Program

🌟 **Elevate July Session Week 3 Recap** 🌟

Check out all the fun the students had!

✅ Volunteered at Grace Klein Community's Free Food Drive-Thru at Liberty Church Birmingham.
✅ Volunteered at Feed BHM Bessemer
✅ Participated in Automotive Week with Stream Innovations
✅ Completed ACT prep class with Hueytown High School teacher Ms. Lindsay
✅ Completed final Leadership Development class
✅ Continued Chess instruction with ChessKidsNation
✅ Continued Math & Reading Enrichment
✅ Ice skated at Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena
✅ Complimentary Breakfast at Chick-fil-A The Grove
✅ Enjoyed 1-hour of play at Spare Time Trussville
✅ Received a sweet treat at Nothing Bundt Cakes

A special thank you to our lunch (and surprise breakfast) sponsors:
• Mariola Henderson
• Pat Powell
• Mariette Horschel
• Chick-fil-A Inverness
• Mary Horner
• Rebecca Jones

Want to invest in the next generation of leaders? Support our Elevate students by giving today: elevate.gkcbhm.org

🌟 **Elevate July Session Week 2 Recap** 🌟

Check out everything the students accomplished:

✅ Volunteered at Grace Klein Community's Free Food Drive-Thru at Liberty Church Birmingham.
✅ Enjoyed lunch and fellowship with the Alabama Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries-Alabaster Campus.
✅ Participated in Construction Week with Stream Innovations.
✅ Continued ACT Prep classes
✅ Continued Leadership Development classes
✅ Continued Chess instruction with ChessKidsNation
✅ Continued Math & Reading Enrichment
✅ Enjoyed a Lunch & Learn at Texas Roadhouse

A special thank you to our lunch sponsors this week:
• Tracy Gregg
• Roxanna Santander
• Laura Pickens

Want to invest in the next generation of leaders? Support our Elevate students by giving today: elevate.gkcbhm.org

🌟 Elevate July Session: Week 1 Recap! 🌟

We kicked off our July Elevate session and hit the ground running! 🚀

Our students jumped right into a week full of learning, leadership development, service opportunities, career exploration, and hands-on experiences.

📚 Students began building their skills through:
• Leadership Development classes focused on personal growth, communication, teamwork, and becoming future leaders
• Chess Classes with ChessKidsNation designed to strengthen critical thinking, strategy, and problem-solving skills

🤝 Service continues to be at the heart of the Elevate experience! Students had the opportunity to serve at:
• Grace Klein Community's Free Food Drive-Thru at Liberty Church Birmingham, helping prepare and serve families in our community
• Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank, where students packed bags for their Door Dash partnership for new moms and bundles diapers.

🌱Students began their first week of classes with Stream Innovations by diving into the world of agriculture through a variety of hands-on learning experiences. Students explored different types of produce by identifying and learning about a variety of fruits and herbs, dissected flowers to better understand plant structures, and even created their own terrariums to take home.

🌊The Cahaba River Coalition Classroom CLEAN program engaged students with various activities. Students learned how to read maps, the ecosystem of the Cahaba River, the importance of protecting natural resources, and the diverse plants and wildlife that call the river home.

🏫College campus tour took place at Miles College and for their FUN FRIDAY, students spent their morning at Old Navy - Alabaster, job shadowing, received first-hand experience in the retail world, and enjoyed a pizza lunch onsite. To end the day, students created their own pottery pieces at Prodigal Pottery.

A special thank you to our lunch sponsors this week:
• Misty Luthcke
• Roxana Santander
• Carlos & Aleshia

🚀 We can’t wait to see what Week 2 brings!

🌟 Elevate Week 4 Recap 🌟

The June session is a wrap!

📚 For our final week, students successfully completed:
• ACT Prep Classes with Hueytown High School teacher Ms. Lindsay
• Chess class with ChessKidsNation
• Math and Reading Enrichment

🎓 For Leadership Development, students learned proper table etiquette, in addition to professional and social skills that will serve them well in school, future careers, and everyday life.

🤝 We concluded the week serving with:
• Grace Klein Community's Free Food Drive Thru at Liberty Church Birmingham, helping sort food and distribute food boxes to families in our community.
• Birmingham Botanical Gardens, pulling weeds and spreading four yards worth of mulch to help beautify and maintain the gardens for visitors to enjoy.

💻 Our final week with Stream Innovations focused on technology. Students learned how to use 3D drawing pens and explored engineering concepts by building robots.

🏫 Students toured Miles College, learned about academic programs, student life, and the many opportunities available through higher education.

🎉To celebrate the completion of the program, students spent their final Fun Friday at Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure thanks to the generous sponsorship of Centennial Real Estate. We are incredibly grateful for their investment in our students!

❤️ A special thank you to our lunch sponsors this week:
• Mariette Horschel
• Asbury United Methodist Church - Martha's Circle.
• Morgan United Methodist Church - Molly Roy's Circle.
• Deborah Nichols
• Yogurt Mountain

We are so proud of each student who participated in our June session. Over the last four weeks, we have watched them step outside of their comfort zones, serve others, embrace new challenges, develop leadership skills, explore career opportunities, and grow both academically and personally. Their hard work, positive attitudes, and willingness to learn have made this summer truly special.

Help support our next session beginning Monday, July 6th. Visit elevate.gkcbhm.org to learn how you can get involved or sign up to provide lunch for our students here: https://takethemameal.com/RWCR3560

🌟 Elevate Week 3 Recap! 🌟

📚 Throughout the week, students participated in:
• Math and Reading Enrichment
• ACT Prep Classes with Hueytown High School teacher, Ms. Lindsay
• Chess classes with ChessKidsNation
• Leadership Development activities designed to strengthen communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and personal growth.

🤝 Students volunteered at Grace Klein Community's Free Food Drive Thru at Liberty Church Birmingham, helping prepare food boxes that will be distributed to families throughout our community.

🩵 Students also served with Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank and packed diapers for families and assembled tampon kits to support women.

🔍 At Stream Innovations, students dove into an exciting Forensics experience. Working together in teams, students analyzed clues, examined evidence, and collaborated to solve a mock case. The hands-on experience challenged them to think critically, communicate effectively, and apply investigative skills while learning about careers within forensic science and criminal investigations.

🍽️This week's Fun Friday gave students a unique opportunity to explore the food and hospitality industry through conversations with local business leaders and plenty of delicious samples along the way.

Students visited:
🍗 Chick-fil-A The Grove
🍩 Full Circle Donuts
🌮 Rojo Birmingham
🍔 Shake Shack
🍦 The Whole Scoop Ice Cream Shop

At each stop, students heard directly from owners, managers, and team leaders about their career journeys, what inspired them to work in the food industry, and the many opportunities available within restaurant and hospitality careers. From business ownership and operations to customer service, management, marketing, and culinary arts, students gained insight into the different paths that can lead to a successful career.

Of course, the food samples along the way didn't hurt either! 😋

🏃 To wrap up an incredible day, students visited Altitude Trampoline Park - Pelham, Al, where they enjoyed an afternoon of fun, fellowship, and active recreation. A huge thank you to Altitude for generously hosting our students!

❤️ We are so grateful for the businesses, partners, volunteers, and supporters who continue to invest in the next generation through Elevate. Every experience helps our students broaden their perspectives, build relationships, and discover possibilities for their future.

A special thank you to our lunch sponsors this week:
• Mariette Horschel
• Jim & Laura Pickens
• Misty Luthcke
• Rebecca Jones

Want to support Elevate? Visit elevate.gkcbhm.org to learn how you can get involved, or sign up to provide lunch for our next session students here: https://takethemameal.com/RWCR3560

🌟 Elevate Week 2 Recap! 🌟

Another incredible week is in the books! Our Elevate students continue to grow through learning, service, career exploration, and hands-on experiences that are helping prepare them for their futures.

📚 Students continued their math and reading enrichment activities, sharpened their skills during ACT Prep classes with Hueytown High School teacher, Ms. Lindsay, and built strategic thinking through chess classes with ChessKidsNation.

🤝 Service remains at the heart of Elevate! This week, students:
• Volunteered at Grace Klein Community's free food drive-thru at Liberty Church Birmingham.
• Served at Feed BHM Bessemer by helping reallocate cooking oil for distribution, staged food for our food pickup partners, bagged shoes for families in need, sorted clothing donations, and restocked the Give & Take Room to help ensure resources are readily available for our community.

🩺 This week also marked the beginning of our partnership with Stream Innovations!

During their first sessions, students participated in interactive health-focused activities and learned about various aspects of wellness and healthcare. On day two, students had the opportunity to hear directly from professionals working in the healthcare field. Guests shared their personal journeys, discussed different career paths, and offered valuable insight into the education, dedication, and character needed to succeed in healthcare professions.

🎉 For Fun Friday, students explored two exciting industries through job shadowing and behind-the-scenes experiences.

👕 At Old Navy, students learned about the retail industry, customer service, merchandising, inventory management, and teamwork. They even participated in a mannequin styling competition, where students worked to create the best outfit display. The winning student received a $25 gift card! Students also enjoyed a delicious pizza lunch provided by the Old Navy team.

🍽️ Students then visited People's Inc. Food Studio, where they received a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind food production and preparation. They even got to see their incredible prop room! The team shared how food concepts are developed, tested, and prepared. Students learned about the many career opportunities within the culinary and food service industries, from culinary arts and food innovation to operations and production. To top it off, students were able to sample some of the incredible creations being prepared by the team.

❤️ A special thank you to our lunch sponsors this week:
• Laura & Jim Pickens
• Amy Whitson
• Chicken Salad Chick
• Chef James Jones
• Kathy Kilpatrick

Your generosity helps ensure our students are nourished, encouraged, and able to fully engage in each day's activities.

As we wrap up Week 2, we are grateful for every volunteer, partner, sponsor, and student who makes Elevate possible. Each experience is helping students discover new opportunities, build confidence, and develop the skills needed to make an impact in their communities and beyond.

Want to support Elevate? Visit elevate.gkcbhm.org to learn how you can get involved, or sign up to provide a lunch for our students here: https://takethemameal.com/RWCR3560

🚀 On to Week 3!

Our Elevate Summer Internship Program is so much more than a summer program.

We are intentional about providing students with real-world experiences to build confidence, leadership, and life skills while challenging them to step outside of their comfort zones.

Did you know that each student is given the opportunity to participate in an Internship Challenge? Students are given a weekly goal designed to develop four key areas: service, resourcefulness, community engagement, and business development. Each week, they build upon the previous week's challenge.

This week's challenge was twofold: complete a food rescue and collect 25 pairs of shoes to benefit our global partner, Kwathu Children's Home.

We are proud of one of our student interns for successfully completing the challenge!

Please help us celebrate his accomplishment! 👏👟❤️

🌟 Elevate Week 1 Recap! 🌟

Our Elevate June session students hit the ground running and packed their first week with learning, service, and plenty of fun!

📚 Students began their math and reading enrichment activities and kicked off ACT Prep classes with Hueytown High School teacher, Ms. Lindsay.
♟️ Began Chess classes with ChessKidsNation, building critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
🤝 Volunteered at Feed BHM Clay to help prepare for their Grand opening and served at our drive-thru at Liberty Church Birmingham, sorting produce and distributing food boxes to families who came by.
🐠 Participated in a "CLEAN"classroom program (Conservation Leadership, Environmental Activities in Nature) with the Cahaba River Coalition. Ms. La'Tanya brought the river to the classroom and engaged students in learning about the unique organisms and ecosystems found in the Cahaba River.

🎉 For our first FUN FRIDAY, students:
• Attended FeedBHM Clay’s Ribbon Cutting Celebration
• Enjoyed box lunches provided by Jimmy John's in Trussville
• Toured Royal Cup Coffee and Tea, were gifted merch and coffee to take home, and treated to donuts in celebration of National Donut Day 🍩
• Wrapped up the day with a refreshing scoop of ice cream thanks to Bruster's Real Ice Cream🍦

A special thank you to our amazing lunch sponsors this week:
❤️ Karen Pennington
❤️ Asbury United Methodist Church
❤️ Rebecca Jones
❤️ Tracy Gregg
❤️ Panda Express– Panda Cares Foundation
Your generosity helped fuel our students and staff throughout the week!

We are incredibly proud of all our students have accomplished in just one week and can't wait to see what Week 2 has in store.

Want to support Elevate? Visit elevate.gkcbhm.org to learn how to get involved, or sign up to provide lunch for our students here: https://takethemameal.com/RWCR3560

🚀 Ready for Week 2!