Seneca Valley students honored with statewide community service award for Cranberry Township work
More than 120 students from the Seneca Valley School District teamed up with officials from Cranberry Township to improve the township through multiple projects.
The collaborative effort earned the group recognition at the 2024 Youth Awards as part of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors on Wednesday, April 17 in Hershey.
As special projects coordinator for the public works department in Cranberry Township, Kaylee Eyth helped organize the event that saw students beautify areas around the township.
“It was a great opportunity for students to be part of their community,” Eyth said. “They took ownership of the parks they visit all the time and really got to experience the amount of work that goes into the maintenance of these areas. It also gave them something to proud of.”
The students worked on projects in Community Park, North Boundary Park and the municipal center that included cleaning playground equipment, washing trucks, picking up leaves and even helping with traffic.
“We did a traffic signal teardown,” Eyth said. “We had a bunch of old traffic signals that they got to dismantle.”
The group received a $500 prize and a framed certificate in front of township officials from across the state during the 2024 Annual Educational Conference and Exhibit Show in Hershey.
“It was really a tremendous collaborative effort,” said Mike Manipole, who is township supervisors chairman and a teacher at Ryan Gloyer Middle School. He praised both the students and township employees for their time and effort.
“We want to build younger people into active citizens,” he said
Cranberry Township is working hard to ensure the children in the community have a sense of pride and ownership in their community, Mainople said.
Students also raised awareness about the dangers of pollution entering the environment through stormwater inlets via the township’s stormwater educational awareness programs.
Students also planted 200 trees, raked leaves, and collected litter in common areas. Work also was done at a 55-and-older community and 18 other properties in the community.
“The impact of these student-driven efforts is both immediate and gradual,” said Anthony Babusci, an adult adviser to the group. “Students feel the pride and satisfaction of giving back to their community via these endeavors. That includes having photos and videos taken by township staff that they can proudly show off to friends and family. Students also get a chance to meet other members of that community — people of all ages and backgrounds with whom they may otherwise have no interaction.”
