Donahoe’s ALEX effect takes shape

Doctor, princess, firefighter and DJ are just a few of the dream jobs of students at Cashell Donahoe Elementary School in Sandston.

But sometimes, dream jobs may seem like nothing more than dreams for those students – about 80 percent of whom qualify for free or reduced lunches by federal standards because they come from low-income households.

That’s why Mechanicsville resident Kelly Wease Chenault created #TheALEXProject.

The program assigns adult volunteers to each of the kindergarten through fifth-grade classrooms at Donahoe. The volunteers – each referred to as an “ALEX” – are named in memory of Alex Moore, who aspired to live a life of service and become a police officer after initially pursuing a business career, Chenault said.

Moore died in an automobile accident on June 7, 2015, but his endeavor to make a difference in the world is something she believes is being fulfilled constantly by #TheALEXProject.

ALEX is an acronym for “Actively Loving and Encouraging Xcellence” – values embodied by Moore.

“The name of this isn’t just a name,” Chenault said. “Even though he is not here on this earth, his involvement is as important and impactful as any of ours, and I think his name and involvement have made this extremely successful.”

‘A living example’
Since the start of the program in spring 2016, the ALEX volunteers have been well received by the students, faculty and staff at Donahoe Elementary. There are 36 volunteers currently; each classroom has at least one. Although the ALEX volunteers are encouraged to spend a minimum of one hour per week with the students, many surpass that expectation.

“You ask for one thing, and it’s leaps and bounds above what we need,” fifth-grade teacher Cindy Yeskoo said. “They’re doing it because they want to, and they keep doing it. You keep seeing the same faces, so it truly is such a living example of how you should treat others.”

Aside from mentoring students, ALEX volunteers build relationships with these children that continue through their elementary school years and beyond. ALEXes continually encourage students to do their best and act as resources for the Donahoe teachers.

As one of 14 Title I elementary schools in Henrico, Donahoe receives federal funds to help ensure that it can address some of the additional obstacles that come with having a high percentage of students from low-income and, in many cases, single-parent households.

That money helps provide extra staffing and programs, but nothing makes a bigger impact for students than knowing someone cares.

“I look at the ALEX as more of an emotional friendship,” first-grade teacher Angela Carrigan said. “I would love to be that support base for the kids and I am, to a certain extent, but when I split myself 20 different ways, they don’t feel that one-on-one attachment as much as they do with [their ALEX].”

Yeskoo compared the moment an ALEX walks through the classroom door to Santa walking in. Although the children do not expect treats or gifts of any sort from their ALEX, it is the undivided attention and love they receive that makes these relationships so powerful.

School officials even had to implement a “no-hug zone” for the students, as a result of the excitement that arises when the ALEX volunteers show up, Carrigan said.

‘A little bit of ALEX’
The program ended up at Donahoe somewhat randomly.

Chenault pondered her idea several years ago and spoke with educators about it. In the spring of 2016, she discussed it with the principal of Hanover High School (which her children had attended), who directed her to Henrico Schools’ Director of School Improvement and Professional Development Stephen Castle.

Castle discussed the concept with HCPS administrators, who suggested Donahoe as a possible fit. Chenault’s only request was that the program start at a school that didn’t already have volunteers or mentors.

A partnership was born.

Through yearly fundraising on the program’s GoFundMe website, Chenault has raised nearly $5,000 a year since 2016 for #TheALEXProject and this year met her goal of $10,000. The funds go toward healthy snacks, school supplies, playground equipment, instructional supplements and more.

With the help of Moore’s parents, Mark and Lynne Moore, who are also ALEX volunteers, #TheALEXProject became an official nonprofit this spring. Its nonprofit status contributed to the abundance of donations it received this year.

Nearly a year after the start of the program, Donahoe Elementary regained full state accreditation. While the achievement was not exclusively because of #TheALEXProject, school system officials did recognize its positive influence on Donahoe, Chenault said.

Still, Chenault believed most of the credit belonged to the teachers at Donahoe, who she views as miracle workers and her heroes.

With 14 other Title I elementary schools in Henrico, Chenault’s goal is to be able to expand the program. However, her primary focus always will be Donahoe, as she has fallen in love with the community and the school, she said.

Chenault’s daughter, Courtney, is a senior at the University of Richmond and an active example of #TheALEXProject’s potential. After serving as an ALEX for the last two years, she has realized how drastically the education system changes depending upon location, even just a few miles away from her hometown of Mechanicsville.

After this realization, Chenault decided to pursue a teaching career, and hopes to teach at a Title I school in the future, she said.

The ALEX volunteers benefit just as much from #TheALEXProject as the students and teachers, if not more, according to those involved with the program. It spreads the influence of engaging in selfless acts and paying it forward.

“If we can look at #TheALEXProject as an example of what happens to a community when people pay it forward and how that spreads, and if we can all think about that and do that. . . what would happen?” Donahoe Principal Rebecca Roper asked. “What could this world be, if everybody had a little bit of ALEX in them?”