Virginia Newsome received recognition for creating nonprofit raising art supplies for schools
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Virginia Newsome, a 17-year-old senior at Layfayette High School's School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCAPA), was named one of America's top 10 youth volunteers of 2013 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards during the program’s 18th annual national award ceremony at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Selected from a field of more than 28,000 youth volunteers from across the country, Newsome has earned the title of National Honoree, along with a personal award of $5,000 and a $5,000 grant from The Prudential Foundation for a nonprofit charitable organization of her choice.
Newsome created a nonprofit organization in 2011 that has donated $50,000 worth of visual and performing arts supplies to schools that cannot afford them. “I have seen firsthand the benefits of making the arts available to all students,” she said. “Studies show students who participate in the arts do better in school, have fewer discipline problems, higher test scores, and are more involved in their schools and communities.”
While attending a leadership conference, Newsome was challenged to find a way to help her community. Knowing that arts programs throughout the country were falling under the sword of budget cuts, she decided to create “heARTS Inc.”
The idea behind “heARTS” is that schools and individuals share supplies they don’t need with others who do need them. “It’s the best form of recycling,” Newsome said.
To start her project, Newsome got her friends involved. One designed a logo and the other designed a website. Within a few weeks, she and her classmates had collected $500 worth of crayons, markers, glue sticks and other supplies for a local elementary school. News coverage and Newsome's use of social media and public speaking opportunities soon brought requests from other schools and organizations.
In addition to seeking donations of musical instruments, costumes, art supplies, puppets and craft materials, Newsome fundraises to buy new supplies for schools in need. In its first year, “heARTS” has provided more than $50,000 worth of goods and services that have benefited 4,200 children in the U.S., Haiti, Guatemala and Dominica. Newsome also has expanded her program by appointing area directors in all regions of the country and in Mexico.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is a nationwide youth volunteer recognition program sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).