Gatesville students adopt a highway to keep Central Texas beautiful

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Some local junior high students are keeping Texas beautiful by adopting a stretch of a local highway and picking up the trash.

Around 45 students at Gatesville Junior High from the Science Club and National Junior Honor Society are part of The Texas Department of Transportation’s Adopt-A-Highway program.

The program enlists volunteers to adopt a two-mile section of state-maintained roadways to pick up trash and prevent litter.

The Gatesville students have adopted a stretch of FM 107 in Gatesville.

Bryson Stevens is an 8th grader part of the program.

“We do Adopt-A-Highway so we can make the community a better place,” Bryson said. " We clean up the streets. We make new friends , new connections and new school environment."

Classmate Rachel Schlax said while picking up trash may seem mundane, it’s actually fulfilling.

“It may seem like a chore but when you’re doing it, it’s a lot of fun and you get to connect with your friends which feels absolutely amazing,” Rachel said.

Teacher and sponsor Bill Bryant helps the students three times a year with their clean-up.

He said the program has taught the kids about community and responsibility.

“We kind of get these kids together and go out into the real world and experience the science rather than just learning about it in the classroom and we help the community out by doing some environmental things as well and for the National Junior Honor Society, we try to build some student leaders because one day they’ll be leading our world,” Bryant said.

This is the 8th year Gatesville Junior High has participated in the Adopt-A-Highway program.

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