Brittany Bell

VALDOSTA — A school teacher is making good on her promise to mentor youth in the community. 

Eighth-grade teacher Brittany Bell will host the first Education Day at J.L. Newbern Middle School 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29.

“I have no words,” she said. “It’s going to be a learning experience, and it’s only going to get better, and we’re only going to be able to improve people’s lives even more.”

Bell resigned from Lowndes High School earlier this year to mentor students at Newbern, taking a $12,000 pay cut when she quit coaching girls basketball.

“It was a great decision; I’m able to spend a little more time with my family, and I’m also able to impact the community the way I envisioned myself impacting the community,” she said. “That’s the kind of impact and the legacy I want to help build here at Newbern.”

Bell’s Education Day will connect the school system with community members and will open the doors to the school, she said. It is the first event since her start at Newbern.

There will be free food, music, a clothes giveaway, bounce houses and more available.

Buses will pick up children from Ora Lee West’s central office and the Mildred Hunter Center at 9:45 a.m. Saturday. Buses will drop off at these locations, and all children must be accompanied by an adult.

“Education is not reliant on student-teacher; it’s reliant on everybody to be a part in order for it to be successful,” she said. “If everybody doesn’t buy in to the fact that education is important, it’s going to be a failure.”

The event will increase awareness that education is more than curriculum but encompasses knowledge about community health benefits, financial wealth and more, Bell said.

One vendor will provide information about a health clinic and health insurance, Bell said.

“We want our community to have that knowledge because you don’t know what you don’t know,” she said. “The more information that we can get out there, the more the community grows as a whole.”

Amanda Usher is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1274.