Students in every grade are eagerly seeking events and associations that offer community service opportunities. Teens at Service, one of the many clubs that offer volunteer work in Edison, was part of the park cleanup at Cunningham Park. Mrs. Baker, along with a handful of Teens at Service members met up at Grand Central Pkwy, in Oakland Gardens on Saturday, October 17, 2015. They teamed up with several other high schools, Friends of Cunningham Park, and MillionTreesNYC to improve and protect the Park.
When asked what motivated him to attend this event, Vice President of Teens at Service Anthony Ramdut states, “Living close to the area, I feel as if it’s my responsibility to keep it clean, and allow it to look more appealing so more and more people can enjoy the time they spend there. Preserving the environment is important to me because it’s not every day you have the opportunity to sit down and enjoy the view. You wouldn’t want something that’s supposed to be pleasant and relaxing turn out to become dirty and less appealing.”
Edison students that participated in the Cunningham Park Cleanup
Photo Credit: Stacy Baker
Anthony went on to say, “One of my jobs while helping to clean the park was planting flowers, so by the time spring comes, the area will look a lot more cheerful and pleasant. Also, by cleaning out the weeds around the park, it helps it look more aesthetic.”
Why is this of any importance to the students at Edison? Anthony explains, “It’s not every day you’d be given the opportunity to be able to preserve something within nature. I just hope with more events occurring, it’ll allow people to realize that even if it’s a small change they they are making initially, it’ll end up making a big difference.”
Park cleanups are just one of the various methods of service that Edison offers. Numerous groups, such as National Technical Honor Society, along with Teens at Service and SkillsUSA promote making a positive difference in the community. Informing and displaying the importance of community service and participation in school clubs are a great way to encourage students to become active members in both.
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