BellSouth and BellSouth Volunteers Bring Shadows to Life        ~ Groundhog Job Shadow Day helps students link learning and earning ~
Seems ol' Phil found his shadow greeting him on Feb. 2 along with more than 7,000 students from across the BellSouth nine-state area. The students climbed into manholes, took rides in bucket trucks, spliced cable and assisted with customer service when they visited BellSouth facilities on Groundhog Day. Launched by BellSouth in 1996, Groundhog Job Shadow Day gives students a firsthand look at the world of work by pairing them with an employee in a similar field of interest for a half day and showing them the skills they’ll need to be successful in the 21st century.
Some kids in Raleigh, North Carolina, were thrilled to visit the BellSouth facilities. Comments from the kids ranged from "You sure learn a lot more doing hands on than reading it in a text book," to "You have to work as a team to run a big company like BellSouth," and "I was impressed with safety standards in place."
In Jackson, Mississippi, Andreas Moffitt shadowed John McCullouch, state president. Andreas attended a press conference for the Mississippi Museum of Art's unveiling of the Andrew Wyeth exhibit. He also met Governor Ronnie Musgrove and Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson, as well as attended a luncheon where he sat next to First Lady Melanie Musgrove.
	Students shadowed company executives, service technicians, engineers, customer service representatives and other BellSouth employees on the job for a hands-on learning experience, where they actually saw the importance and relevance of what they were learning in school. "We wanted this experience to give students a positive motivation for learning," said Mike Watson, Pioneer Region Vice President. "We hope to help students focus on their futures and encourage them to meet their goals, regardless of what career path they eventually pursue. The employees also see this as a great opportunity and look forward to participating in the project each year."