Junior Civitan Encourages Community Involvement

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Patrick Bell

Central’s Junior Civitan club provides volunteer and community service opportunities for its members. (photo courtesy of Junior Civitan International)

Junior Civitan is a community service club intended to organize volunteer efforts among students. With chemistry and AP selina teacher Lee Conrad and psychology teacher Stanley Pryor as sponsors, Central’s Junior Civitan club is one of the largest in the state. The Junior Civitan program was established in 1927 and has since been implemented in several schools in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The club was created to encourage adolescent involvement in the community, development of leadership skills, and building citizenship.

“We also collaborate with the Civitan Club Chapter of Little Rock on volunteer events, such as the Special Olympics Basketball Tournament,” junior and Junior Civitan historian Dina Patel said.

The student leaders at Central are senior Jennifer Song as president, senior Kate Woziwodzki as vice president, and senior Sarah Shirley as secretary. These leadership positions cause students to develop valuable leadership skills. With a minimum requirement of five volunteer hours, the club causes students to become more involved in their community and to explore local activities that otherwise they would likely not participate in.