Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Bids Fond Farewell to GYAC Class of 2022, Grants Two Scholarships to GYAC Seniors and Invites Rising Leaders to Join GYAC Class of 2023
Lawrenceville, Ga. – July 7, 2022 – In addition to its role as a community-based organization dedicated to inspiring individual action and finding long-term solutions to environmental and quality of life issues, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful (GC&B) is also responsible for fostering a new generation of environmental stewards through its involvement with local schools. In addition to programs like Plant It Forward, Food Waste Warriors and Compost Connectors in Gwinnett County Public Schools, GC&B plays host to a youth leadership program called the Green Youth Advisory Council (GYAC). Open to GCPS, private school and homeschool high school students, as GC&B bids farewell to the GYAC Class of 2022, it has opened applications for the GYAC Class of 2023.
“A lot of people are familiar with Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful for our logos on Adopt-A-Road signs and our community cleanup and recycling events,” said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director for GC&B. “But we’re so much more than that. Our involvement with Gwinnett County Public Schools is among the most rewarding aspects of the job for me personally. There’s something so rewarding about witnessing a genuine love of the environment in young students, made all the more so as they grow into young leaders who want to make a difference for the greater good. If you know someone who fits that description, we’d love for you to recommend that they apply for our Green Youth Advisory Council.”
During the 2021-2022, Green Youth Advisory Council members comprised students from 11 different Gwinnett County high schools including: Amay Shah, Ariella Ayenesazan, Arshan Rafiq, Cynthia Bui, Daeun (Ella) Lee, Daniel Jung, Danielle Chun, Diya Lakwani, Emily Laycock, John (Jack) Prewitt, Logan Zimmerman, Miles Simmons, Samara West, Shivali Singh, Stephanie Ramos, Suraj Chatoth, Tanner Dilworth, and Trevor Spake. Thanks to the GC&B Jim Steele Environmental Education Scholarship Fund through the Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia, the nonprofit awarded $2000 scholarships to two of its graduating GYAC members. This year’s scholarship recipients are Logan Zimmerman who will be studying Environmental Science at College of Coastal Georgia and Daniel Jung who will be studying Mathematics/Computer Science at Princeton University.
“Our 2022 class will be a tough act to follow,” added Marlatt. “They created an awesome ‘Recycling Simplified’ awareness video, participated in many of our community events, brainstormed ideas for potential new programs and initiatives, and so much more. They were a great group of students, and we hope those who didn’t graduate will join us again for GYAC Class of 2023. As always, we’re excited to see what the next crew will bring to the table!”
Applications are now open on the Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful website at www.GwinnettCB.org. The Green Youth Advisory Council is a unique hands-on opportunity for high school students from diverse backgrounds to participate in an environmental and sustainability service-learning and leadership development program. Participants will contribute to and inform Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful on projects that impact local and global environmental challenges while acting as ambassadors and leaders for youth service in their communities. Applications are due by August 29.
