VECA Holiday Pecan Sale

VALDOSTA -- Valdosta State University’s Valdosta Early College Academy (VECA) will host their first ever holiday pecan sale until Friday, Dec. 11.

VECA will sell South Georgia Pecan products to local businesses and members of the community. All profits will be used to purchase technology, academic books and educational field trips for VECA students in order to provide them with the best possible education.

Brian Gerber, director of curriculum, instruction, and outreach at VSU, was instrumental in founding VECA two years ago and is now heavily involved as a liaison.

“We wanted to develop a good fundraiser that supports our community and local businesses, schools and farms,” Gerber said. “This allows us to keep our tax base here as well as provide a service to businesses and community; it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.”

Each buyer will receive a letter from the VSU office of University Advancement indicating the contribution amount for use on the 2009 income tax return. VECA will deliver to houses or businesses within the greater Lowndes-Valdosta area at no cost for orders of ten of more. Orders may also be picked up at the former SL Mason School located at 1605 Azalea Drive in Valdosta.

“There is no order too large or too small. We have received an individual’s order for 70 items to be delivered all over, and we’ve had an order for just one item,” Gerber said. “Either way, we will find a way to get the package to you.”

Valdosta Early College Academy is an innovative school formed as a partnership between the Valdosta City School District and VSU. It blends middle/high school and college into a seamless technology-rich education program, provides rigorous curriculum with high academic and behavioral expectations with small classes and instruction designed to meet the needs of every student.

Currently, a total of 72 students attend the sixth and seventh grades at VECA, which is housed in the Dewar College of Education on the VSU campus. Each year a new class of sixth grade students will be admitted, bringing enrollment to 250 students in grades six through 12 by the year 2014. Students are selected based on risk factors for dropping out of school prior to high school graduation.

E-mail Brian Gerber at blgerber@valdosta.edu for a brochure and an order form ot visit http://www.valdosta.edu/coe/veca/index.shtml for a printable version.