'Community Pride' effort fosters environmental awareness

Just two years later, the environmental program has expanded beyond her dreams. It has become an annual day camp involving local churches, the Boy Scouts, parents, school attendance officers, and a host of other community leaders.

The more than 400 children who participate in the program still learn about the environment. They also enjoy learning activities such as motivational workshops, cake decorating, a puppet program about the hazards of drug use, dance and cheerleading classes, and a baseball clinic. "Parents love it," Purnell says. "And children gain skills while they participate."

Thanks to a gift to Mississippi State University from The Chevron Companies, the state 4-H program hopes to see this kind of community involvement and service learning duplicated in counties around the state.

"Community Pride is sponsored statewide by The Chevron Companies and is administered by the 4-H Department of the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service at Mississippi State," said Joe Bethea, Chevron's public affairs manager in Jackson.

"The program is designed to provide 'seed' money for local initiatives in environmental education and environmental awareness for worthy community projects. An awards segment spotlights the 'best of the best' community projects through regional competition," he said.

Local clubs, classes, and civic groups can apply through their county extension agents for $100 to $300 Community Pride Environmental Grants, said Jim Yonge, 4-H youth development specialist.

Typically, groups receiving the grants will find ways to involve other local and corporate sponsors in developing projects such as conservation field days, environmental camps, arts projects with environmental themes, or other environmental-related programs.