Members of the Mayor’s Youth Conservation League working on a community beautification project
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris is giving local youth the opportunity to make their community cleaner and greener- and to make some money as well! This year, the Mayor’s Summer Work Experience includes the opportunity to work for the Youth Conservation League, which focuses on community improvement and beautification. These 120 high school students are already three weeks into this six-week experience, working five days a week in neighborhoods across the county to reduce litter and beautify areas through special weekly service projects.
Each week, the 16 Conservation League teams work on special projects around Shelby County, giving them an opportunity to improve the community in other ways besides their regular litter pickup. Some special projects include planting flower beds, painting basketball courts, planting fruit trees, and collecting and sorting food donations.
The teams are partnering with a network of dedicated organizations throughout the summer, including: Carnes Garden, Douglass Community Center, Douglas Cornerstone CDC, Fish-N-Loaves, Greenleaf Farms, Heights CDC, Landmark Training, Lester Community Center, Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, Memphis Botanic Gardens, Memphis River Parks Partnership, Memphis Storm Water, Mid-South Food Bank, Mitchell Heights Neighborhood Association, Shelby Farms Park, Southeast Partnership Project, South Memphis Fish Market, T.O. Fuller State Park, Wolf River Conservancy, and The Works CDC.
We are excited to see what these engaged young people, the Shelby County government, and our amazing community partners and agencies can do together!