B-B receives state Learn and Serve grant

For the second year, Byron-Bergen Central School District has been awarded a Learn and Serve America grant from the New York State Education Department in Albany. This funding will support the continuation of the Byron-Bergen Emergency Response Team (BBERT), a volunteer organization of students in grades seven to 12 who are trained to staff a Red Cross emergency shelter at the middle/high school in time of need.

School Counselor Teri Henick will serve as the BBERT advisor. As in the past, training will be offered in first aid, CPR/AED, child care, elder care, food preparation and sheltering responsibilities in the areas of communication, logistics and reception. Judy Nagel, executive director of the Genesee County American Red Cross and a district parent, is an active participant in BBERT projects.

Last March, four high school students represented BBERT at the State Learn and Serve Conference in the Hudson Valley.

New this year will be a connection between BBERT and the newly formed Genesee Region Citizens Corps Council. This group endeavors to increase all area residents' awareness of emergency preparedness.