Features

1,000 pounds of trash

That’s how much garbage was collected in one day by Sevier Middle School six grade students in an area that should be pristine: Kingsport’s Greenbelt.

A television, hoards of plastic bags, fast food packaging, and cigarette butts were among the items filling 90 bags of trash total collected along Reedy Creek. Students talked about what they found. They compared stories of astonishment. They thought about why a television set ended up in our water stream and what impact that has on their neighborhood, their world.

The reaction to this service project was more profound than Science teacher Stephen Baker expected when he and several student leaders proposed the Greenbelt clean-up project. “It was the kids who live in the neighborhood who responded most,” said Baker. “They were cleaning up their own community. It was a revelation to many. The kids couldn’t believe how much garbage was there.”

The service project was just one activity that Baker utilized to make a direct correlation to a student’s real world experiences and the sixth grade science curriculum. The group also visited Bays Mountain to learn more about nature and wildlife conservation efforts. “This was a community service project that we extended throughout the year,” Baker said.

Hopefully, the lesson will extend throughout a lifetime.