In December second-year PAF Katie Wynne and first-year PAF Dor Hirsh Bar Gai volunteered at EdFest, DC’s citywide school fair where thousands of District residents have the opportunity to explore over 200 public and public charter school options. LINK Strategic Partners, a national strategic communications and stakeholder engagement firm founded by GW alumnus Michael Akin, helped coordinate the event. PAF alumnus Corey Barenbrugge, CCAS ’09 MPA ’11 who serves as LINK’s Director of Writing, Research and Strategy, reached out to the PAF Advising Team to invite fellows to help. Volunteers and staff worked side by side and adopted an ‘all hands on deck’ attitude.
We could be found carrying lifesize paper maché tigers, boxes of brochures, four-foot trophies, making last minute tape runs, and greeting families as they entered the venue. At one point we even helped entertain a child who was temporarily separated from their family. Also at the event were a number of government agencies and nonprofit organizations, including the Department of Parks and Recreation which set up an indoor basketball court and play area. The excitement was palpable: kids shot free throws and hugged mascots. The experience reminded me that, even as I prepare to graduate with a master’s degree after almost 20 years of continuous schooling, learning should be fun – at least most of the time!