Westmont, Illinois -- Date Issued: January 30, 2023
Westmont Junior High School Principal Amy Quattrone attended the Village of Westmont January 26 Board Meeting to share the 2022 Reaching Out & Building Bridges Award, which was awarded to Quattrone, CUSD201, and the Village of Westmont last fall. The award, which is coordinated through the Illinois Principals Association (IPA), is presented to Principals who strive to develop partnerships between schools and their communities to provide local students with service-learning opportunities.
“This award represents a commitment from the entire community to work together to provide opportunities for our students,” said Quattrone, who has lived in Westmont most of her life and began working for CUSD201 in 2008. “I want to thank all of our community partners including the Park District, Westmont Library, community organizations such as Westmont Special Events and the Westmont Chamber of Commerce, and all of the departments of the Village of Westmont. Everyone has been a great help with providing our students with learning experiences and volunteer opportunities. These relationships help our students as they develop the skill sets that will make them successful in life.”
The Student Service Learning Commitment Program, which was developed over a decade ago, requires all WJHS students to complete 36 hours of volunteer service before their graduation. The program creates natural partnerships between WJHS students and public agencies and local organizations. The concept for encouraging community volunteerism and partnership between the school district and the community was developed over several years. Then in 2014, Quattrone approached the Village of Westmont and other organizations to assist with the planning of the “Westmont: Illinois Reads.” program, which brought over 1000 people from throughout the State to Westmont. The project united community stakeholders and solidified strong, cooperative relationships for years to come.
After this initial success, the commitment to partnership and student volunteerism continued to grow and develop over the years with programs such as the Jr. Citizens Police Academy, providing volunteers for the People's Resource Center, assisting the Westmont Special Events Corporation with events such as the Cruisin’ Nights Car Show and the Taste of Westmont community festival, serving as the launchpad for the Water Tower Model Contest, providing student volunteers for the River Sweep and the Storm Drain Stenciling Program, and more.
The Village of Westmont congratulates Principal Quattrone and all of the partnering agencies who work together to create these opportunities for the students of our community.
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