Shaw Industries Partners for Elbert Shaw Memorial Scholarship

A man described as a lifelong community servant with the highest integrity will be commemorated through two scholarships for local youth volunteers, thanks to one of Bartow County's biggest employers.  

In honor of the legacy of Elbert Shaw’s commitment to volunteer service and youth development, Shaw Industries is partnering with United Way of Northwest Georgia’s Volunteer Center to offer two $5,000 scholarships for high school students. 

The Elbert Shaw Memorial Scholarship seeks to recognize young people who are active, empowered members of our community. The award recipients will be youth who work in cooperation with their peers and community leaders to create positive change in society, including identifying problems and implementing solutions.

“This scholarship program is a testament to Elbert Shaw, a man that freely gave of his time and resources to make a difference in the lives of others,” Shaw CEO Vance Bell said in a release. “Elbert embodied honesty, integrity and a passionate caring for others in his volunteer pursuits. I believe that Elbert would be proud to recognize motivated youths that are driven to create a better future through volunteerism.”

Amanda Burt, President of United Way of Northwest Georgia, confirms value in youth service, “When young people volunteer, they help to solve problems that face their communities like hunger, homelessness, a high drop-out rate, vandalism and many more. They also grow on a personal, social and intellectual level.  Studies show that teens who reported having positive role models—particularly among their peers—were nearly twice as likely to volunteer as those who did not.”

 Becoming an active volunteer plays a pivotal role in character development. According to a Search Institute Study, young people who engage in two hours of service per week are half as likely to engage in high risk behavior such as fights, truancy, smoking, drinking and drug use. Just two hours of service a week bolsters resiliency, improves self-esteem, increases personal responsibility, and connects young people to others.  Elbert Shaw was very passionate about helping troubled youth and creating paths to better opportunities.

According to the National Dropout Prevention Center, service learning and community service has shown to be a powerful dropout prevention tool. As a result of their volunteer efforts, teens reported:

• Doing better in school or improving grades
• Developing new career goals
• Learning about career options
• Learning how to respect others
• Understanding people who are different (e.g., the elderly, physically or mentally challenged individuals, individuals living in poverty, etc.)
• Developing leadership skills
• Understanding the qualities of good citizenship
• Learning how to solve community problems

Elbert Shaw worked tirelessly to have a positive impact on our community’s youth. The Elbert Shaw Memorial Scholarship will honor his life by perpetuating his goals of youth development by sowing the seeds for future volunteers in Northwest Georgia.