SHAWNEE, Okla. – Students from Gordon Cooper Technology Center’s SkillsUSA American Spirit team cleaned up the Tot Lot beside the Shawnee Community Center earlier this month.
To complete this project, the students met on Feb. 12 and repainted three basketball goals, stained three benches, removed graffiti from the playground equipment and removed grass and debris from the sand.
“Cleaning up this park gives the kids in this neighborhood a safe place to play and encourages families to get outdoors,” American Spirit team member Lauren McDowell said. “I feel like this is a great way to give back to the community.”
Each year the American Spirit team organizes three projects throughout the year focusing on citizenship, community service and promoting STEM and Career Tech education in the community. The students chose the Tot Lot as their project to promote community service.
The American Spirit team is composed of SkillsUSA members from Gordon Cooper Technology Center. The team must carry out three projects each year and then present those projects at the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Contest. The three projects must be focused on community service, citizenship and promotion of career and technical education.
Gordon Cooper Technology Center is an accredited institution and is one of 29 Career and Technical education options within Oklahoma's globally recognized Career Tech System. GCTC serves an area in East-Central Oklahoma covering approximately three counties. To learn more about Gordon Cooper Technology Center, click here.
