Left: The East Carroll Parish 4-H Junior Leader and HYPE Club members visited an East Carroll Parish Police Jury meeting. Photo by Trevor Jackson. Right: East Carrol Parish Police Jury Vice President Kofi Darden, from left, welcomes Dylan Lyons and Ulaila Martin with the help of Police Jury President Kendall Thompson. Photo by Jocinda Jackson-Jones

Exciting changes are underway in East Carroll Parish, led by a group of youth determined to make a difference. At a police jury meeting in the fall, 4-H Junior Leader President Ulaila Martin and Healthy Young People Empowerment Club Vice President Dylan Lyons presented a proposal on behalf of their clubs. The goal? To adopt and maintain Kofi’s Park and Kendall’s Park through cleanup days, ensuring these community spaces stay clean, safe and welcoming for everyone.

This proposal is more than just a cleanup plan. It’s a policy, systems and environmental change that seeks to create lasting impact for the community. The presence of other 4-H and HYPE members at the meeting showed the unity and commitment behind this initiative. Together, they are promoting a shift in how the community views and cares for shared spaces.

“This initiative is proof that young people can drive real, meaningful change” East Carroll Police Jury President Kendall Thompson said. “When we give them a seat at the table, they deliver ideas that benefit us all.”

This 4-H and LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities proposal is a proactive step toward building a culture of environmental responsibility and community pride among the parish’s youth.

“These parks mean a lot to us,” Martin shared. “They’re where we grew up, where families gather and where people of all ages come to relax, connect and have fun. We want them to be spaces we’re proud of, and that means keeping them clean and safe.”

The plan outlines quarterly cleanups that will be led by the 4-H Junior Leader Club and HYPE with support from local authorities and community volunteers. Each cleanup will be strategically organized, providing gloves, trash bags and litter pickers to ensure volunteers are safe and prepared. By bringing together youth and community members, the initiative aims to foster a sense of shared responsibility for East Carroll’s public spaces.

For Martin and Lyons, this project is about more than cleaning parks. It’s a chance for them and their peers to develop leadership skills, strengthen teamwork and experience the impact of civic engagement.

“We’re learning so much through this project — planning, organizing, and seeing how we can make a real difference,” Lyons said. “It’s an experience that’s going to stick with us long after the cleanups are done.”

The initiative represents the power of young people to make real policy and environmental change. The youth are setting an example for the community by showing that taking care of the spaces is a responsibility all can share.

With the initiative now in motion, both youth groups are inviting everyone in the community to join them.

“We want everyone — families, friends and neighbors — to feel involved and take pride in keeping our parks beautiful,” said Jocinda Jones, an agent who works with the Healthy Communities program.

Their efforts have already sparked a wave of enthusiasm, with other local groups expressing interest in supporting the cleanups, making it clear that this is more than a youth initiative — it’s a community movement.