The Peach Belt Conference has announced a new community partnership with The Wachovia Foundation that will create multi-level educational opportunities for PBC student-athletes and other students in PBC communities.

The agreement establishes three new educational initiatives:

• PBC – Positive Benefits for Children, which will provide planning and resources to PBC institutions when they are working with elementary and middle schools. In addition to reading programs already in place at most PBC institutions, the program will provide mentoring programs and allow PBC student-athletes and Wachovia employees to interact at both local schools and on campus. It also will provide funds for books, educational tools and other resources.
• The Wachovia Foundation Minority Postgraduate Scholarship, which will be awarded to one deserving PBC student-athlete who has excelled in the classroom, displayed leadership on and off the field, been involved in campus activities, actively participated in community outreach and has a strong desire to continue on in a postgraduate program. The program will begin in 2010 and will be the conference’s first postgraduate scholarship program.
• The Creative Connection Educational Award, which will recognize outstanding achievement in educational outreach. The award (to be presented for the first time in spring 2010) will honor institutions that develop the most creative connection to their local elementary and middle schools and recognize PBC student-athletes who make a serious effort to be role models for younger students. The award also honors local elementary and middle schools that encourage their students to participate.

“This partnership will mean a great deal to a lot of people,” said PBC Commissioner David Brunk. “The opportunities being created by The Wachovia Foundation not just for Peach Belt student-athletes but for elementary and middle school students in our communities is tremendous. These three programs being created reflect directly on our mission to not just be one of the best Division II conferences on the field, but to be leaders in education as well.”

Wachovia Vice President  Mike O’Neill likes the community-based fit for the banking company. “We share a common vision and commitment to community involvement and academic excellence,” he said. “We look forward to making a positive difference in communities where both Wachovia and PBC institutions reside.”

Brunk said the partnership also relates back to the Division II strategic-positioning platform.

“Enabling our student-athletes to work in their communities is one of the attributes upon which our conference was started,” said Brunk. “Over the past couple of years we have initiated many programs designed to integrate the college campus with the local community, but this partnership with Wachovia is our biggest step yet and has the potential to really make a difference in the lives of many students.”