BSI’s ‘School Pride Project’ to help prepare for school year opening

This week, Best Sunshine International, Ltd.-Corporate Social Responsibility team launched their latest self-initiated School Pride Project and to take on every opportunity that will help various public schools ring in the new school year with a new and improved look.

This new project reflects the same intent to that of the pioneering Village Pride Project. Its immediate success on Saipan was replicated throughout Tinian and Rota.

BSI’s CSR team hopes to encourage young students and school personnel to continue to take the lead in preserving the beauty of the islands, beginning with the maintaining a clean and healthy school environment.

The School Pride Project facilitates several activities that include maintenance, repair, and restoration of school facilities and structures throughout the island. Headed by CSR executive director Geri Dela Cruz, Best Sunshine’s Corporate Social Responsibility department will be going into several schools throughout the island to prepare for the upcoming school year.

Best Sunshine’s CSR team has already made a huge impact in the school community throughout the summer by revamping both Marianas High School in preparation for their 2016 graduation ceremony and Saipan Southern High School, the site of the 40th Pacific Circle Consortium that the CNMI hosted for the first time.

“The school-wide project in which CSR is undertaking is really to collaborate with different schools and assist them in preparing for the opening of the 2016-2017 school year. Although these schools have claimed damage from Typhoon Soudelor through the FEMA public assistance program, there are many other items that we as the community can assist our schools in preparation of welcoming our children back-to-school,” Dela Cruz said.

To kick off the School Pride Project, the BSI-CSR team has reached out to San Antonio Middle School and has spent this week assisting the school with the removal of furniture from a condemned building; disposal of leftover debris and green waste; and repainting the school’s parking stalls.

“We are really grateful to have that kind of help and outreach from Best Sunshine. We are short-staffed this summer so it’s been really great help for us,” said Carla Sablan, vice principal of San Antonio Middle School. “We asked if they could help move furniture, get rid of trees that were cut down, mowing of the lawn, and retouch up the paint in the parking lot.”

Sablan also adds, “I really appreciate that kind of outreach to the schools because it’s something that we usually struggle with in the summer because everyone is out. I think it’s a really big help.” (PR)