OWASCO - Armed with a giant stencil, several cans of paint, and some brushes and paint rollers, eight volunteers from the Syracuse branch of AT&T gathered at Owasco Elementary School Thursday to spruce up the school's outdoor basketball court.

By the time the TelecomPioneers were done, the blacktop court had been transformed into a giant map of the United States.

"We really try to stay in touch with the community," said Julie Barnes, AT&T employee and project coordinator. "We want to give them something they can use."

TelecomPioneers is a nonprofit organization of more than 750,000 active and retired employee volunteers from companies within the telecommunications industry in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Syracuse volunteers have worked on several projects within Onondaga County, but this is the first time they have visited a school in Cayuga County.

The volunteers, many of whom are originally from the Auburn area, worked all day Thursday to complete the project. A giant stencil was used to lay the basic outline for the map, which was then covered with a base coat and several layers of paint.

"It's not that hard," Christie Chafee said. "If you push down on the roller, it really squirts out the paint."

All of the volunteers wore matching "AT&T Cares" T-shirts, and despite the heat and aching backs, they worked hard to stay within the lines.

"This is where all that grammar school coloring practice comes in handy," Mike Read said. "You have to be really careful."

Painted in shades of green, red, orange, yellow and purple, the 20x30 map will provide elementary school students and their teachers a tangible method of learning and teaching geography through games and challenges. The map is purposely not labeled.

"It is just a great learning tool for our students," Barnes said.

Barnes decided to take on the project because her two daughters, Nina and Brooke, attend the school. Both girls joined the group later to help with the painting.

"It looks great and will be fun to use," 8-year-old Nina said.

AT&T encourages their employees to take on volunteer projects. The group gathered Thursday had been given the day off to complete the map. TelecomPioneers is also known for the work they do with the disadvantaged and the disabled, but the map painting is one of their more popular projects.

"This is amazing," Read said, rubbing his yellow paint-covered hands together. "When we started we just had an outline; now you can really see each state."

Staff writer Ashley Lipsky can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 235 or ashley.lipsky@lee.net