Litter Cleanups, Water Festivals, and Youth-Led Accountability in Louisiana

Project Summary

Arlene and her colleague at the Feliciana Soil and Water Conservation District in Louisiana lead ongoing community environmental education through school visits, library seminars, litter cleanups, and water festivals, sparking the kind of learning that kids carry straight home to their families.

Detailed Story

Arlene works at the Feliciana Soil and Water Conservation District in Clinton, Louisiana, where she and a colleague conduct regular environmental education outreach across schools, libraries, and community venues. Their work spans topics including waste, water quality, and agriculture, and has earned multiple awards and proclamations for community-based educational impact. Their most recent featured effort was a large litter cleanup organized in partnership with Keep Louisiana Beautiful and Keep East Feliciana Beautiful, with volunteers of all ages turning out in “Love the Boot” t-shirts to pick up litter in the community. Arlene also participates in Project WET Water Festivals, hands-on events where young participants learn about water quality and environmental stewardship in ways that clearly stick. Two recent overheard quotes from kids at a Water Festival capture the impact perfectly: “I can’t wait to tell my Mama she can’t throw cigarettes out the window anymore!” and “My daddy has been changing his oil and dumping it down the drain. He shouldn’t be doing that, huh?” That kind of learning doesn’t stay in the classroom, and that’s exactly the point.

Impact Statement

25 participants, plus dozens more community members, engaged in hands-on environmental education through litter cleanups and water festivals, with learning that visibly extended beyond the event into family conversations about pollution, water quality, and responsible disposal practices.