Whitefield Teens Mentor at Austell's Walton Reserve

 A community service fulfillment for the students at Whitefield Academy has evolved, becoming an opportunity to mentor elementary school students residing at the Walton Reserve Apartment complex.

Middle and high school students from the Christian academy visit younger students from kindergarten through fifth-grade at the Walton Reserve Adventure Center, offering homework help and companionship.

The center, located at 7075 Walton Reserve Lane in Austell, is outside of the gates of Walton Reserve near the leasing office.

Adventure Center Interim Director Venesea Marshall said that students know what to expect on Wednesdays when tutoring occurs.

“When they see the van pull up, they get excited,” Marshall said. “For some of the volunteers they’ve developed a relationship, and the students know them by name.”

Volunteers from Whitefield Academy who visit the center are from sixth-grade through high school. Nine volunteers from the school usually go to the center each week.

Alyson Casey, middle school coordinator, said that students are so eager to tutor the elementary school students that the school has created a waiting list.

“Helping out these students provides them the opportunity to be mentors and learn how to act as role models,” Casey said. “They learn how to leave campus and represent Christ as well.”

Whitefield Academy encourages its students to participate in community service projects either on campus or out in the community. The private religious co-ed school was founded in 1996 and is located at 1Whitefield Drive S.E. in Mableton.

High school students are required to complete at least 15 hours of community service while middle school students complete at least 10 hours per year, Casey said.

According to WaltonCommunities.com, the Adventure Center is a free amenity available to residents with children from kindergarten through fifth-grade. The enrichment program is offered after school daily from 2:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. The program is sponsored by the Atlanta Youth Project, a non-profit, faith-based organization, the site states.

The center in Austell, which opened seven years ago, was the first of four centers built among other Walton Communities properties, Marshall said. It has three classrooms and a computer lab for 65 registered students.

Teaching the younger students allows those tutoring to feel good about what they’re learning in school, said Karen Richardson, community service coordinator for the academy’s high school.

“They enjoy getting out and playing with them as much as anything,” she said. “They’re doing something worthwhile because the students enjoy having them around.”

Volunteering at the Adventure Center for the academic year will conclude May 27 when school ends.