Oakwood Elementary Parent Wins Volunteer of the Year

In the past year, volunteers have spent more than 500,000 hours working with schools in Anne Arundel County, and once a year, the school system honors those who make sacrifices to better their local schools.

One of those volunteers, Allison Pickard, is the PTA president for Oakwood Elementary School in Glen Burnie, where her children are enrolled. With less than two years experience in the PTA, Pickard earned Volunteer of the Year on Thursday.

"Allison is one of Oakwood Elementary’s greatest natural resources," said Teresa Tudor, with the Office of School and Family Partnerships for AACPS.

But Pickard has made sure she isn't the only natural resource at the school. She has helped the school raise $10,000 to build an outdoor garden classroom, where Oakwood students from each grade level get a hands-on learning experience on gardening and the environment.

"There is almost nothing at Oakwood that she hasn’t touched in some way, and no task she has undertaken that hasn’t been done exceptionally," Tudor said.

Pickard told Patch she was surprised to be recognized, because she is happy just making her kids' school a better place.

"As a stay at home mom, it has been very fulfilling to tap into parent and community resources," Pickard told Patch. "I have enjoyed seeing all the students and families come together for the good of the school."

AACPS also gave the Community Engagement Award to Maurica Simms, the coordinator for the Community Ambassador Program.

The Crystal Apple Award, for best volunteer program, went to Broadneck Elementary for the school's Learning Garden.

AACPS also recognized the following programs with regional awards:

• Backpack Buddies, Annapolis Middle School
• Venture Crew 115, Central Middle School
• Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students), Pershing Hill Elementary School
• Chessie Reading Incentive Program, Pasadena Elementary School
• Forgotten Lunch Program, Woodside Elementary School
• OC2 – Outdoor Classroom Club, Folger McKinsey Elementary School