Youth in El Paso plan community clean up event

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Saturday morning, student leaders from the El Paso Youth Environmental Ambassadors (EPYEA) Summer Leadership Program hosted a community-wide cleanup and environmental education fair at the Playa Lateral Canal adjacent to Capistrano Park.

Over the past eight weeks, organizers with Reconnecting with the Disconnected say that participants completed an intensive leadership academy, learning project management, public speaking, environmental stewardship, teamwork, civic engagement, and community partnership development.

Instead of ending the program with a final exam, students were challenged to apply those lessons by designing and leading a real community project that would create a lasting impact. The students created this community clean up in response to the challenge.

Student Leadership Instructor Melody Dominguez said the experience has changed her perspective on leadership. "We've learned that leadership isn't a title—it's action. This event has taught us how to build partnerships, communicate with professionals, solve problems, and bring people together to make our community better. We hope this inspires other young people to realize they can make a difference too."

The event reportedly brought in around 100 volunteers, local businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, veterans, community leaders, and families in what organizers say was a collaborative effort to restore one of El Paso's public waterways while educating residents about protecting the environment.

The volunteers removed any debris or items that could potentially prevent storm water from flowing in the drainage system, possibly creating flooding in the area. Volunteers also cleaned up some of the surrounding area where they removed things such as tires and other items.

According to Samantha Recker, Founder and President of Reconnecting with the Disconnected, the cleanup is only part of the story. "Our mission has never been simply to clean parks or pick up litter. Our mission is to develop young leaders who understand that lasting change happens when people take ownership of their communities. Watching these students organize an event of this magnitude demonstrates exactly what young people are capable of when they are trusted with real responsibility."