During a school-wide beautification project entitled “Pitch-in” Countryside, Countryside High School’s Interact Club solved their school problem involving trash and a lack of school pride. With the assistance of a 4-H Community Service Grant of $500.00 members of the Interact Club, lead by Club President Shelby Hanna, partnered with many other clubs and organizations in getting their school clean. The Clean-up included cleaning the metal supports around the walkways of the school, picking up trash around the grounds, and landscaping around the school sign. The day long event, which was attended by 100+ Countryside students, faculty, and staff as well as outside support and involvement from the surrounding community was “amazing” said club President Shelby Hanna in a final report submitted to the Community Service Grants Board of Directors summarizing the project. “We received more in-kind and monetary support than we expected” with groups such as Westshore Pizza, Vax-D, GFWC No. Pinellas Woman’s Club, Rotary Club of Safety Harbor, Chick-fil-A, Accent Awnings, Einstein Bagel Brothers, and Palm Harbor Nursery and Landscaping all showing their support. Shelby stated “We will have to wait a few more weeks to see if the trash problem inside our school is improving” but all-in-all the group realized they have their own civic responsibility to work together and to have personal pride in their school and that they are all leaders and have their own special skills. To read a little more about this project and others like it, check out the Grants Board portion of the upcoming Cloverleaf and go to http://www.pinellasteeninfo.com/ to see pictures from the event.

By Richard Livingstone, 4-H Youth Mentor

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