PAVE stands for Philanthropy
and Volunteerism in Entrepreneurship. The program was founded by Bob
Hopkins and teaches kids the basics of philanthropy, communication and
presentation skills, and what it takes to be a leader. I had my first taste of
the PAVE program way back in 2007 when I was in the 4th grade. Through PAVE, I
learnt about philanthropy and how vital our small helpful acts are to the
society. It was my first major fundraising experience. Our class got to pick a
non-profit organization of our choice (we picked Texas Scottish Rite Hospital)
and raise money to help kids needing special treatment of an orthopedic
condition.
Now fast forward to June
2013. Mr. Hopkins calls me and asks if I would like to get involved with PAVE
but this time as an instructor! I thought “How cool is that!” I was
being asked if I could change the lives of kids through a program which had changed
mine. Over the course of the next few weeks, Allison Johnson, an
experienced PAVE instructor, and I planned out a “Summer” PAVE program for kids
in the Collin County area.
The sessions were held at
the Frisco Public Library. We had a bunch of super motivated kids from 6-12
years of age. Session one involved teaching the kids the meaning of
philanthropy and how we can incorporate it in our everyday lives. Session two
was about goals – setting and following through with them. During session three, we taught the students
about entrepreneurship and how to approach and fix a problem through creative ideas
and a plan of action. In the fourth session, the kids learned about many non-profit
organizations, their mission statements, logos and famous philanthropists and
their work in the community. Throughout the four weeks, students learned the
importance of good communication skills, poise and posture, and techniques to
make a great first impression. We ended the PAVE Summer program with a bang –
An Award Ceremony to recognize the students who worked hard to learn about
philanthropy, volunteerism and entrepreneurship and pledged to make a
difference in their community through acts of kindness.
It was an incredible experience
for me when I was in 4th grade, and now, even more so. I loved teaching the
kids how to be a philanthropist and be a great leader.
I think the kids walked
away with a better understanding of how little acts can make a big impact. I
hope that PAVE kindled a desire in them to do something for their community and
some day one or more of these kids will take the flame forward as a teacher of
the PAVE program. -Amit
