Leavitts of St. George receive Business Friend of Education award
Chris and Tracey Leavitt hold their award. (Photo courtesy Krystle Weaver)
Chris and Tracey Leavitt, center, stand pose with a group of people after receiving their award. (Photo courtesy Krystle Weaver)
Chris and Tracey Leavitt hold their award. (Photo courtesy Krystle Weaver)
Chris and Tracey Leavitt, center, stand pose with a group of people after receiving their award. (Photo courtesy Krystle Weaver)
The Maine School Board Association has awarded the Business Friend of Education to Chris and Tracey Leavitt of St. George.
Each year, the MSBA award recognizes no more than two companies that have made significant contributions to public education.
Chris and Tracy Leavitt are St. George residents, parents, and business owners. They own and operate a small construction and caretaking business called Leavitt Property Services & Consulting. For three years, they’ve supported the vision to develop the nation’s first PreK-12 Career & Technical Education (CTE) program and construct a CTE/Makerspace building. Along with financially supporting the project as a business sponsor, Chris served on committees including the CTE Building Committee where his expertise as a contractor informed the location, design, and construction of the new building, according to St. George MSU School Board Chair Jennifer Garrett. He worked closely with the architect and offered advice while working with a general contractor. He also participated in numerous outreach and fundraising efforts, appearing on News Center with Don Carrigan, providing quotes for appeals, and even cooking on a grill during the grand opening of the new building.
For the past three years, Chris and Tracy have worked with the St. George Kindergarten and 1st grade teachers and students to integrate CTE into the curriculum and show that students as young as five benefit from CTE learning opportunities. Chris and Tracy helped Kindergarteners with a snowman project where students measured 2x4s and cut them with saws. With Chris and Tracy’s guidance, 1st graders hammered together wooden birdhouses, tool boxes, and trucks. Chris and Tracy often donated the materials for these projects and refused to be reimbursed.
"The success of the CTE/Makerspace Project is the result of the vision, hard work, generosity, and heart of our school and community," said Garrett. "Chris and Tracy were at the center of this work from the very beginning and showed the nation that students of all ages thrive with hands-on/minds-on learning."
Click the attachment below for more pictures of Chris and Tracy Leavitt.
