CCHS AVID students hold car wash
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
Students in the Copperas Cove High School AVID program held a car wash and bake sale at Bush’s Chicken Saturday afternoon to raise funds for the program.
AVID, also known as Advancement Via Individual Determination, is an “academic regularly scheduled elective class” at CCHS.
The curriculum is based on writing, critical thinking and reading, inquiry and collaborative learning strategies. The three main components of AVID are academic instruction, tutorial support and college readiness. The program is offered for grades 9 through 12.
The mission of AVID is to “close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society,” according to CCISD website.
Kylee Perez, who is in 11th grade, was one of the students working at the AVID car wash and bake sale. She said she liked seeing everybody work as a team while washing the different cars.
The money raised from Saturday’s car wash will go towards PSAT testing, college visits, class shirts, classroom supplies and scholarships, according to Perez.
As a student in AVID, she said the organization helps prepare her for college and helps her determine which college and scholarships would be the best fit for her to apply to.
She said she first heard about AVID while in 8th grade and was encouraged to join and be a part of the student organization.
Since joining AVID, Perez said she has become more organized and works harder in her classes and has seen her grades improve for the better from her freshman year to present time.
Haillee Lance, also a junior, said she enjoyed helping with the car wash and being part of AVID.
“It makes you feel more helpful and that you’ve done something, especially for the community, because as we all know car washes cost money here,” Lance said. “Being able to have so many people donating actually shows how society is and likes to help a cause.”
Advisor Donald Buckram was supervising the car wash with fellow advisor Tiffney Barnes-Graham.
“I would say it's just a small token of what they do in AVID,” Buckram said about the car wash. “They do a lot more than car washes and bake sales. Obviously, they do a lot of study habits and they try to get themselves a higher grade in each class, and we at the AVID organization, we always try to motivate the kids to do more than the norm, to promote them to be a part of our community like we are today and be a part of extra organization such as DECA, sports teams, debate teams, band, theater/thespians so we motivate all the kids to do a little bit more than just be an average student in high school.”
Saturday’s car wash also featured a bake sale. Each student at the car wash/bake sale was tasked with bringing an item, whether it was cookies, brownies, soap, towels, etc. It was a collaborative effort, Buckram said.
At the latest count, the CCHS AVID group raised approximately $560 of its $1,000 goal. Buckram estimated that the group washed around 50 vehicles, with a large percentage of those cars coming during the lunch hours. The car wash was held from 12 p.m. to just after 3:30 p.m.