NEW PARIS —National Trail PTO and Renaissance Club held the annual NT Community Carnival on Saturday, April 6. The event brought community members together with local organizations to network organically. The event also brings fun to the community through games, bounce houses, and food.
According to National Trail High School Administrative Assistant and Renaissance Coordinator Sindi Hoke, planning this event helped the Renaissance Club officers learn how to plan an event, while also creating mentors for the younger club members.
The Renaissance Club is focused on changing the culture of school. It does a lot of community service work and helps with various events in the school and throughout the community. The Community Carnival is a way for the students to learn valuable skills and be a part of the community, according to Hoke.
“They had to create all the games, plan what we were going to do for the evening, create all the posters, time frame it out – they had to set up everything. It is kind of their event, we just host it,” Hoke said. “”We need something fun to do. Our community is a small community, we don’t have a lot to do around here, so I think our kids and parents need something fun to do together.”
As for having local organizations present, Hoke says it is important, because these are services community members may need later.
“We want to bring everybody together. If we can have our community all in one place doing a fun family event, with all our kids in action, I feel like when everyone is in place they’re having a good time. If the community programs are here, these are the things we offer in our community and we want everyone to know we offer these things in our community,” she said. “If you bring them to a fun event, they may grab a flyer and need that service later. That is why we do it at a fun event.”
