 TO VIEW PHOTOS, CLICK HERE
A Williamsburg park and roadway are cleaner now, thanks to 30 students from 10 counties. On June 1, they picked up trash in Brier Creek Park and along the adjacent George Hayes Road, which is an infamous site for littering.
The cleanup event was the community service project for the 2008 class of Rogers Explorers. The students, who will be 9th-graders this fall, are from Bell, Clay, Harlan, Knox, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Wayne and Whitley counties.
“This was a fun way for the students to get to know one another while doing a good deed,” said Jessica Melton, Associate Director of Education and Training for The Center for Rural Development, which sponsors the Rogers Explorers program. “They are the future of this region. If they get hooked on community service now, just imagine how we all will benefit as they pour their time and talents into our communities.”
“Picking up litter is always an eye-opening experience,” said Tammie Wilson, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of PRIDE, one of The Center’s partners in hosting the event. “After cleaning up other people’s trash for an hour or so, most volunteers promise they will never litter again. We appreciate the Rogers Explorers for improving Williamsburg’s environment and hope they will be PRIDE ambassadors in their hometowns.”
The students were selected for the elite Rogers Explorers program because of their leadership potential. From June 1 until June 3, the students live at the University of the Cumberlands and are challenged by fun, educational activities designed to enhance math and science skills. The service project is part of the program’s goal of encouraging a long-term commitment to the students’ communities.
To sponsor the cleanup event, The Center partnered with PRIDE, which is southern and eastern Kentucky’s environmental cleanup and education initiative, and Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White, Jr.
Judge White joined the students at the event. He talked with them about the importance of volunteering and caring for the environment.
The Center and PRIDE were created by Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-5) to encourage and assist communities with creating long-term opportunities for their young people. PRIDE’s role is to promote personal responsibility for the environment. The Center addresses several facets of community development, including encouraging and enlightening Kentucky’s next generation of community and business leaders. The Center launched the Rogers Explorers program in 2006 as part of its youth development mission.
For more information about the Rogers Explorers program, please visit www.centertech.com.
### |
