erin09n
Registered: December 2013
City/Town/Province: Garland
Posts: 1
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Location: Garland, Texas
Dates of service: September 2012 to present
Code name: GREEN TEAM
Every day as my mother dropped me off in front of Garland High’s familiar brick walls, I’d find myself walking down the same worn paths, seeing the same tired faces. On this one particular day, however, something a little out of the ordinary and a little unfortunate happened- my sneaker got stuck in some gum. Grimacing, I scraped the pink goo onto a nearby chip bag and muttered angrily under my breath about ‘those no-good, lousy, littering hooligans’. Although Garland High had its janitorial staff, it just wasn't enough- it was obvious that the students needed to play a greater role in preserving their learning environment. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice whispered, 'If only the students here cared more about keeping Garland High School clean.' Too bad nobody actually cared like I did.
My head snapped up. If ideas were light bulbs, then my brain must have looked like Christmas in Times Square. After all, why wait for someone else to care? I cared- and now, it was time to prove that one person was more than enough.
As a busy and active volunteer in my local community, I had witnessed firsthand the lasting impact that service can have on the lives of others. Lit with a new fire, I quickly became inspired to start my own service organization specializing in protecting the environment. Gathering up a team of three other environmentally-aware friends and my biology teacher, we decided to start Green Team. Green Team is a student-run organization devoted to promoting an environmentally friendly campus and community. Our student volunteers participate in a broad variety of projects- whether it’s picking up trash at a local church parking lot, clearing trails, speaking to local elementary schools about living green, or simply making posters that encourage people to recycle, we do it all.
In under a month of its first meeting, Green Team had over fifty volunteers participating in its weekly park and hiking trail cleanups. During these park cleanups or hiking trail clearings, volunteers walk to our designated area of the week and pick up litter, trim unruly plant life, and clear out safe hiking paths while also singing songs, having fun, and saving the planet in our own humble way.
Since its establishment, Green Team has brought together many for the common cause of protecting and preserving our planet. Not only has Green Team developed as an independent club and organization, but we have also partnered with other nationally recognized clubs such the National Honor Society, Key Club, and Beta Club in an effort to raise greater awareness and garner greater support for our cause.
As its founder, coordinator, and president, I was given unique leadership opportunities to enact change in my own local community. I witnessed and experienced first-hand the power of the individual, further strengthening my resolve and empowering me to be more willing to incite positive change whenever and where ever I can. And to think, a movement started all because one girl got some bubblegum stuck on her sneaker!
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