LHS SkillsUSA students perform community service

Students from the Lovell High School SkillsUSA program and adult volunteers gathered on Friday, Feb. 27, to beautify part of the Lovell area through a community service project.

Wearing bright, orange vests and with sacks in hand, the students and volunteers traveled to Wyoming Highway 37 northeast of Lovell to pick up trash along a two-mile stretch of highway south of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area park boundary. The project took place from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

According to freshman Randi Ayotte, the effort is part of a project to show how SkillsUSA can work in the community ahead of the state conference in April, representing both the school and community at State.

Fellow freshman Isaac Sanders said the LHS SkillsUSA chapter has officially adopted that stretch of highway and will continue to clean the highway in the future.

On the day of service, 11 LHS SkillsUSA students, three teachers and five adult volunteers met at the Bighorn Canyon NRA Visitor Center, then traveled to the site and split up into four groups, each covering a half mile of the highway on one side. The students conducted a contest for who could find the “coolest” item along the highway.

Math teacher Nicc Crosby found a toothbrush, and sophomore Juliette Caldwell discovered a very old boundary sign that once designated the entrance into the park.

Asked if they enjoyed the experience, Ayotte said, “I thought it was really fun,” and Sanders added, “We adopted the highway because we enjoyed it.” Sophomore Petra Jerome said it was good to get outside and help the community.

“I feel like it was fun, also, because we got to mix with people that I don’t think a lot of us talk to very much,” Ayotte added. And noted Sanders, “I really enjoyed how we did it and how it all worked out. I’m looking forward to doing it again, too.”

The project was coordinated by teacher and SkillsUSA advisor Bret George.