Marietta’s Weed and Seed program has teamed up with more than 20 human communications students from Georgia Highlands College’s Marietta campus to fight crime and rebuild the Franklin Road community.
The students volunteered more than 250 hours of their time at service agencies in the Franklin Road area, including the Franklin Road Boys and Girls Club; Latin American Association; Omosaze reading program; Girl Scouts of America; Cobb Community Collaborative; and the Marietta Youth Empowerment through Learning, Leading and Serving (YELLS) mentorship program, which focuses on youth leadership, community service and academic achievement. In addition, 20 GHC students will participate in the Franklin Road service learning initiative this semester.
“My hope is that they can use their experiences to learn more about communication principles in action, and more importantly, become active and engaged citizens in their community,” Georgia Highlands communication professor and project leader Meredith Ginn said.
“I helped a non-profit organization receive a grant to communicate the importance of participating in the 2010 Census to the community,” nursing major and project participant Sonya Cochran said. “The experience was challenging but incredibly rewarding for everyone involved.”
The Weed and Seed program’s partnership with Georgia Highlands helps expand the concept of community, Weed and Seed coordinator Daneea Badio said. “It’s not just about the residents and businesses on Franklin Road coming together to make a difference,” she said. “It’s about the larger community seeing ourselves as one.”
Weed and Seed is a federal program designed to help communities with serious crime problems bring together people and resources to prevent and control crime and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods. Marietta’s Weed and Seed area encompasses Franklin Road from South Marietta Parkway to the north, Terrell Mill Road to the south, Cobb Parkway to the west and Interstate 75 to the east.
About Georgia Highlands College
Georgia Highlands College, based in Rome, is a two-year institution of the University System of Georgia. More than 5,000 students attend classes at the college’s six campuses in Rome, Cartersville, Marietta, Dallas and Douglasville. More than 1,000 students are enrolled at GHC’s Marietta campus, which opened in 2005.
Redeveloping and revitalizing Franklin Road, and establishing or continuing a collaborative relationship with local centers of higher learning are goals City Council established as part of Marietta’s vision statement.
For more information, call Marietta’s Weed and Seed coordinator Daneea Badio at 770-794-5640.
