Some Longwood University students were able to make an impressive impact on Prince Edward County recently, but at the same time, they were also treated to an encouraging example of attentive and effective governance.

What comes to many people’s minds when thinking of government is the gridlock and frustratingly slow-moving nature of bureaucracy, with red tape that seems to help put the brakes on everything, often in concert with a myriad other things.

But the social work class at Longwood had a different experience.

At the regular March meeting of the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors, County Administrator Wade Bartlett made note of the brief process that led to the reason he and the board were focusing on the subject of child abuse prevention.

“At the February board meeting, the social work class from Longwood University and Professor (Ian) Danielsen asked the board to consider adopting a proclamation to designate April 2019 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Prince Edward County,” he said.

Longwood students Haley Hobbs and Lacie Ellithorpe addressed the board in February on behalf of the social work class with regard to child abuse awareness. Hobbs advocated for the board adopting a proclamation in connection to April, and Ellithorpe spoke about putting on collaborative events with the community in connection with child abuse awareness.

Farmville 701 District Supervisor and Board Chairman Jim Wilck briefly gave them some feedback about the proclamation and also hinted that the road ahead toward their objective in that matter could be a smooth one.

“If you can give us a copy of the proclamation, we will certainly read it and vote at our next meeting,” Wilck said at the February meeting. “I’m speaking only for myself, you understand, but it certainly seems like something I could support.”

Prior to the March board meeting, the Longwood class presented a proclamation. When the time came to vote in the meeting, the process was quick, leading to a unanimous vote to adopt the proclamation designating April 2019 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in the county.

Right after the vote, Wilck directed a comment on the proclamation to Professor Danielsen and the Longwood students in attendance at the meeting: “Thank you for bringing it to our attention.”

These students, under the direction of Danielsen, admirably made a difference, putting in the work necessary to do so. Then the government proved attentive, responsive and timely in reply.

I’d like to commend both groups for living up to ideals and values that we should all strive for.

TITUS MOHLER is the sports editor for The Farmville Herald and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. His email address is Titus.Mohler@FarmvilleHerald.com.