On Friday, June 8, The Port Covington Development Team, in partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools and Bring the Noise, hosted the inaugural Success Fest. At Success Fest, 300 students from 4th to 8th grade from local public schools gathered at The Field in Port Covington for a fun day of activities and entertainment as a reward for their hard work throughout the school year.
“The goal of SuccessFest is to reward students for their positive attitudes and achievements,” said Osei Moreland, founder of Bring the Noise. “We believe that by giving these students a day to remember, it will trickle down to their classmates and encourage them to do well so that they can attend in the future.”
Nineteen participating schools from across Baltimore City each selected 15 all-star students to attend. The students were chosen based on behavior, academics, performance and attendance throughout the year.
“Students who do well and persevere in school deserve to be celebrated,” said Alicia Wilson, SVP Impact Investments and Senior Legal Counsel for the Port Covington Development Team. “These are current and future leaders who are setting the standard for their peers. By celebrating them, we are showing other students that hard work is noticed and rewarded.”
Students at Success Fest engaged in four themed areas: art, STEM, health and wellness, and physical fitness. The Art station included a community art project that every student was able to participate in.
In addition to face painting and a photo booth, the Art station welcomed Bryan Robinson from the Black Genius Art show. Mr. Robinson conducted a “Be Your Own Superhero” art tutorial, teaching students how to draw superheroes inspired by the people in their lives.
Loose Seeds was also in attendance for a slime-making workshop, while FutureMakers taught students how to make their very own air rockets.
For the STEM station, the Port Covington Development team brought in B360, a local community organization that teaches science, technology, engineering and math education by utilizing popular dirt bike culture. The B360 team conducted experiments with the students to help explain engine combustion.
Kaiser Permanente sponsored the Health and Wellness activation with the theme of “Rethink Your Drink”. Students learned about the amount of sugar in various drinks and made their own fruit smoothies with bicycle-powered blenders!
The Physical Fitness station was sponsored by FX Well and included relays, fitness challenges, tug-of-war and group games.
The day ended with live music and dance performances! The TSU Junior Dance Crew took the stage followed by a performance from local hip-hop group, the Creek Boyz.
Thank you to all of the sponsors, volunteers, teachers and parents who made Success Fest possible!
