Project Connection is an organization devoted to giving special needs students an opportunity to hang out with their peers and do activities together. The group is mostly made up of students from Rockbridge County High School. Project Connection recently had their first meeting and event of the year on 

Senior Parizaid Irani is a student at RCHS who has been in Project Connection all four years of high school.

“The project connection meeting was the team’s only event and we do it every year,” said Irani. “We do it so every team can make their team partner and special group.”

The kickoff event is all about the members of the organization meeting each other, as well as the students signed up for Project Connection. The games they played were designed to get people talking and making new friends.

“We did an activity where each team had a flash card with facts about another person, and they had to find the match to their card,” said Irani. “We also did something called marker war where each person runs around with a marker and tries to color on the other people.” 

Community service can be a very rewarding experience, and for Irani, it is. Project 

Connection is also a good way to get community service hours. 

“You get to work with kids who have disabilities and it’s very rewarding,” said Irani. “It’s rewarding because they have someone older to look up to, and know is there for them.

Project Connection is always looking for new volunteers to work with the teens. Members of NHS or other volunteer programs should look into PC as a way to gain hours and make new friends.

“People should join Project Connection because it is a really great way to do some volunteer work while also having a great time with some really fun teens,” said Irani. “Anyone can volunteer and it’s always great to have new members come join and help out.”