User:Eleanor Martin

Rhea J. Welch is a native of historic Jacksonville, Illinois. She is a graduate of Jacksonville High School (1975)and received her B.A Degree from William Woods University in 1980 (formerly William Woods College for Women. She also received her Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from William Woods University. She is senior staff at the Ivan K. Garrison Alternative School in Jacksonville, a Special Education setting for the Emotionally Disturbed public school population. She originated the Class-Time Community Service Program, where students volunteer their time to a service project within the community and receive academic credit for their work. The Ivan K. Garrison Alternative School was the first public day school in West Central Illinois to have such a program.Ms. Welch was the Volunteer of the Year Recipient at the Jacksonville Developmental Center in 1994. Her classroom students were one of two groups that received a Distinguished Service Citation in 1993. she is listed in Who's Who in American Education, Who's Who in the World, and Who's Who in American Women for her innovative approach to teaching and as Project Mentor for Community Service