MONROE - Monroe High School arts and academics are getting a little boost, thanks to a student who recognized a need.
Avery Erb, a junior at MHS, started the Monroe Arts and Academics Booster Club (MAABC) to supplement funding for extracurricular art and academic activities at the high school level. The club's mission is to provide its funding directly to teachers and students for the activities.
"We want to help provide extra money for the clubs already, like the play, and Model UN and Science Club, but we also want to raise fund to help start clubs, like a debate team, which we don't have," Erb said.
Erb would like to see MAABC eventually be able to provide scholarships and support for summer programs.
MAABC goals also include providing funds for competitions, travel expenses, awards in excellence for teachers and students and special equipment for existing extracurricular arts or academic programs.
Monroe High School has an athletic booster club, but Erb saw the need for extra financial support of other student activities during her experience at the Wisconsin High School Model United Nations (WHSMUN) held at the UW-Milwaukee campus in March.
She and several other model UN participants stayed at a hotel by General Mitchell International Airport, more than 10 miles from the campus.
"We couldn't do all the activities," Erb said, "The advisors just thought it would be cheaper for us to stay there."
Her mother, Wendy Weiler Erb, said Avery noted that they could have stayed closer, joined in more activities and known what was knowing on at the campus during the event for a couple of hundred dollars more.
The booster club is up and running, after only six months of working out the details, including filing for non-profit corporate status and electing a board of directors. A website is being developed, but it is already on Facebook and Twitter.
MAABC has teamed up with the Monroe Arts Center, which is acting as the group's fiscal sponsor and "will help us make community connections," Erb added.
Erb said putting the club together was rather difficult, but she got a "lot of community support for it."
As a result, MAABC has a board of directors, composed of two teachers, three community leaders and two student liaisons - specifically Erb and Kelley Baumann, a freshman who helped Erb establish the club.
MAABC is a student organization first and foremost, but Erb said teachers and parents will be needed for support.
Right now the focus of the group is on providing support in the high school, but it has hopes of expanding to the middle school and district elementary schools in the future.
As one of their first projects, MAABC members will be selling pirate treats at the Monroe High School production of "Treasure Island," Nov. 18, 19 and 20. It will also sponsor the pirate band, "Sweet Life," to perform before the play and during the intermission.
MHS students or teachers who are interested in requesting funds or community members who would like to become members or make a tax-deductible contribution, can contact MAABC at monroeaabc@gmail.com.
Avery Erb, a junior at MHS, started the Monroe Arts and Academics Booster Club (MAABC) to supplement funding for extracurricular art and academic activities at the high school level. The club's mission is to provide its funding directly to teachers and students for the activities.
"We want to help provide extra money for the clubs already, like the play, and Model UN and Science Club, but we also want to raise fund to help start clubs, like a debate team, which we don't have," Erb said.
Erb would like to see MAABC eventually be able to provide scholarships and support for summer programs.
MAABC goals also include providing funds for competitions, travel expenses, awards in excellence for teachers and students and special equipment for existing extracurricular arts or academic programs.
Monroe High School has an athletic booster club, but Erb saw the need for extra financial support of other student activities during her experience at the Wisconsin High School Model United Nations (WHSMUN) held at the UW-Milwaukee campus in March.
She and several other model UN participants stayed at a hotel by General Mitchell International Airport, more than 10 miles from the campus.
"We couldn't do all the activities," Erb said, "The advisors just thought it would be cheaper for us to stay there."
Her mother, Wendy Weiler Erb, said Avery noted that they could have stayed closer, joined in more activities and known what was knowing on at the campus during the event for a couple of hundred dollars more.
The booster club is up and running, after only six months of working out the details, including filing for non-profit corporate status and electing a board of directors. A website is being developed, but it is already on Facebook and Twitter.
MAABC has teamed up with the Monroe Arts Center, which is acting as the group's fiscal sponsor and "will help us make community connections," Erb added.
Erb said putting the club together was rather difficult, but she got a "lot of community support for it."
As a result, MAABC has a board of directors, composed of two teachers, three community leaders and two student liaisons - specifically Erb and Kelley Baumann, a freshman who helped Erb establish the club.
MAABC is a student organization first and foremost, but Erb said teachers and parents will be needed for support.
Right now the focus of the group is on providing support in the high school, but it has hopes of expanding to the middle school and district elementary schools in the future.
As one of their first projects, MAABC members will be selling pirate treats at the Monroe High School production of "Treasure Island," Nov. 18, 19 and 20. It will also sponsor the pirate band, "Sweet Life," to perform before the play and during the intermission.
MHS students or teachers who are interested in requesting funds or community members who would like to become members or make a tax-deductible contribution, can contact MAABC at monroeaabc@gmail.com.