Sedona AZ (July 13, 2013) – Welcome to the beautiful Verde Valley!  Look around and enjoy the area.  As you enter Camp Verde and begin driving down Finnie Flats Road, what do you notice?  Do you see the beauty or do you see trash?

When students enroll at the Camp Verde, Arizona, campus of the American Heritage Academy, its handbook requires participation in community service activities. This past spring, Folksville USA’s Gary Chamberlain visited the school and shared the FUSA anti litter message and mission. He challenged AHA students to take part in keeping America beautiful.

The middle school students accepted that challenge. On May 15, 2013, the 6th and 7th graders from American Heritage Academy Camp Verde campus cleaned up a ¾ mile stretch of Finnie Flats Road litter. The twenty two bags of garbage collected by the students were separated into recyclables and trash to promote a further positive environmental message and lesson.

Local highway litter is sorted for recycling by American Heritage Academy students

Chamberlain believes that Camp Verde residents and local businesses will be positively influenced by these dynamic school students, “They will see that the future generation does care about America the beautiful. The AHA students are an inspiration to residents and businesses and those driving by while they are working! They send the message that we care and we are doing our part, now do yours to protect the health, wealth and safety of our fragile desert ecosystem and our residential community. Doing your part can be as simple as not littering and supporting community service anti litter education and events.”

Janice Lay, American Heritage Academy 6th grade teacher, feels the anti litter challenge is a great opportunity to work within the community. She has scheduled community service trash clean up activities four times during the 2013-2014 school year.

“The motto for our students at American Heritage Academy is to “Help build tomorrow’s leaders and role models today.” We hope this service project will make our students aware of their surroundings and do what they can to make Camp Verde, Arizona, a nice place to visit and to live.”

The American Heritage Academy is located at 132 General Crook Trail, Camp Verde, Arizona 86322, and can be found on the web at AmericanHeritageAcademy.org. To volunteer or donate to the August 17, 2013, Folksville USA litter clean up event, email FolksvilleUSA@gmail.com.

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