BranchOut! 4th Annual Celebration
Sunday, October 13th, 2019 is the fourth annual BranchOut! celebrate event. About 300 people from DC, Maryland, and Virginia gathered at the Kreeger Auditorium to attend this regional event.
This year, we had Tony lodge, Ryan McElveen, and Paul Li as guest speakers. The guest speakers talked about their experiences, insight, and support of STEM education in society as well as cultural interaction.
There were also several ethnic student groups performing this year, ranging from Korean traditional singing to Indian dance groups.
BranchOut! grew from 20 student mentors during its first summer in 2016 to almost 150 student mentors participating in the program. This year, outstanding students received awards such as the Calvin Li Foundation award, the President’s Service Award, and the Congressional Certificate, to recognize their exceptional performance in mentoring and volunteering. The new management team was also announced as well and students assumed new positions for the next year.
BranchOut! was recognized for its impact last April and received the Gold Star Group Volunteer Award from the Fairfax Neighborhood and Community Services organization. In September, BranchOut! organized a national Mall Trash Pickup event with the national park service, which was highly supported by students and communities alike.
To learn more about BranchOut!, click here: velbranchout.org
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