Photo by Mike Brothers
OVMS eighth grader Connor Wood and Shelbyville seventh grader Gabe Dove load mulch for Findlay park project.

•April 12, 2017•

Okaw Valley and Shelbyville Middle School students helped spruce up the village of Findlay April 7.

Jody McCormick, Findlay trustee and economic development coordinator, came up with community projects to help prepare the village park and downtown planters for spring activity, while also cleaning up around the village.

“This is a great opportunity to get together different communities and work hand in hand to complete projects where the kids can see it to completion,” McCormick said, noting she hopes to get involved when the co-op exchange goes to Shelbyville for a similar project in the future.

The chance for students from different schools to cooperate on community projects came from Findlay Middle School student council advisor Lou Maxedon. He explained that a discussion about community projects in cooperation with other schools was held at a recent workshop.

”When I discussed the possibility of student councils from Okaw Valley, Central A&M and Shelbyville working together on projects, middle school principal Ross Forlines agreed so we contacted Jody to help kick off the effort,” Maxedon said.

He explained that students from sixth-eighth grades were randomly selected to work in 12 groups at the park and downtown emptying planters and clearing trash in the business district.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.