Students at Enterprise Attendance Center recently receivedstatewide recognition for working to “put litter in its place, notin America’s face.”

They were given a special award Thursday from Keep MississippiBeautiful for their efforts in a litter awareness program at theschool.

High school science teacher Kathy McKone started the programlast year after attending an environmental conference featuringformer first lady Pat Fordice as a guest speaker.

“It was probably her motivational speech that brought on a newawareness for me,” said McKone.

McKone realized that every day she saw trash along the roadwaysnear Enterprise and even some trash on campus.

“Litter is a problem in our community. One doesn’t have totravel very far to notice the trash on our roadways,” she said.

After returning from the conference, McKone set out on a missionto make the area litter-free. She had her biology students writeessays about why they litter.

“In order to solve a problem, it helps to identify reasons forits existence,” said McKone. “I involved my science classes inidentifying these reasons.”

The classes analyzed their essays and discovered the top reasonspeople littered were laziness, following their parents lead, lackof pride in their community, and not being aware of theeffects.

Class discussions revealed that students found patriotism wassometimes lacking in the upkeep of the community.

In a brochure created by students and teachers, they stated “ifAmericans are willing to give their lives to fight for our country,it seems the least we can do is make an effort to keep itclean.”

Students also pointed out how some Americans sent mixedmessages, such as proudly displaying an American flag on theirvehicles, then throwing trash onto the roadside.

“It really made me think and take pride in our country,” saidVivian Lang, a 10th grader.

Students furthered their efforts in the litter awareness programby conducting a trash analysis as they picked up garbage on nearbyroadways last fall.

They discovered that most items were related to food and drinkpackaging. Several students spent a Sunday afternoon picking uptrash with their parents. They were rewarded with extra points intheir class and a visit to Attorney General Mike Moore’soffice.

“They were real excited about that,” said McKone. “He was verycordial to them, and they enjoyed it.”

Since then, students have picked up trash in the area on severaloccasions using bags and gloves donated by local businesses. Theprogram also received a few monetary donations, which they used tobuy a trash can for the high school hall.

“None of this would be possible without the kids wanting to getinvolved and the local businesses helping out,” said McKone.

Most of the students say the litter awareness program haschanged the way they view their community, making them more awareof the negative consequences of litter.

Some students have encouraged their parents, friends andsiblings not to litter and to pick up trash when they see it.

“My sister tries to litter, but I stop her every time she triesto litter around me,” said Gerard Vaughn, a 10th grader.

High school students aren’t the only ones who are involved inthe project. The anti-litter message was sent out to elementarystudents during a December assembly hosted by several high schoolstudents.

Fourth graders at Enterprise got involved in the effort during aposter contest where they created artwork encouraging students notto litter. Winners were awarded tickets for concession standitems.

McKone hopes the idea will continue to catch on in the area andspread throughout the county.

She plans to continue looking for ways to branch out the programand possibly adopt a section of Highway 583.