Submitted article
The backbone of any successful school district is strong partnerships with the community and local businesses. GE’s Bucyrus Lamp Plant and Bucyrus City Schools have enjoyed a strong partnership for many years, and it continues growing every day.
On Oct. 11, six Bucyrus students volunteered to help during GE’s Bucyrus Lamp Plant Fall Family Fun Fest. Students worked during various times throughout the day and helped with the bounce house and face painting during the event.
“The GE Bucyrus Lamp Plant requested the Science Club’s participation to continue building the connection between their business and the school,” Science Club advisor Amanda Kent said. “This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to give back and show their appreciation for the support the GE Bucyrus Lamp Plant, and district taxpayers, provide for their education.”
The GE Bucyrus Lamp Plant Fall Family Fun Fest was a chance for employees and their families to come together and celebrate three new production lines at the facility and the company’s collaboration with Walmart on a Made-in-America bulb.
“Most of our employees live in Bucyrus and send their children to Bucyrus, so our goal is to always be involved in the local community,” GE Bucyrus Lamp Plant Manager Matt Novak said. “Our charitable focus is on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) to encourage students to pursue engineering careers because those are the jobs we have available in our local facility.”
In addition to being a celebration, the event was also a fundraiser for the United Way of Crawford County. Proceeds from the silent auction and cornhole tournament were donated to the United Way to help with local initiatives in the Bucyrus and Crawford County communities.
“We are very grateful for the strong partnership we have with the GE Bucyrus Lamp Plant,” Bucyrus Superintendent Kevin Kimmel. “They have been a champion for our students, and our district, and I cannot thank them enough for their unwavering support.”
The GE Bucyrus Lamp Plant provided the Bucyrus City Schools with a lighting donation for the High School Athletic Complex. The company has also opened its doors for the Elementary School Junior Achievement program, and assisted with the local Bucyrus High School Science Fair.
“I want to personally thank the management and employees of the GE Bucyrus Lamp Plant for the opportunities they provide for our students,” Kent said. “These opportunities are vitally important to the overall student education experience because it allows them to see the types of businesses thriving in our community, and it opens the door for them to build professional contacts for the future.”
To learn more about the GE Bucyrus Lamp Plant, please contact Alicia Gauer at Alicia.gauer@ge.com. For questions or more information about the Bucyrus High School Science Club, please contact Amanda Kent at akent@bucyrusschools.org.