Ouachita Parish, LA – May 9, 2025 – Ouachita Green is celebrating the incredible achievements of its Love Where You Live Intern Program for the 2024–2025 school year. This program, under the umbrella of Ouachita Green and its affiliates—Keep Ouachita Parish Beautiful, Keep Monroe Beautiful, Keep West Monroe Beautiful, and Keep Sterlington Beautiful—has empowered local youth to make a visible difference in their communities while learning the value of environmental stewardship.
This year, 45 student interns from 10 area schools—Homeschool, Good Hope Middle, Pinecrest, Riser Middle, Claiborne Christian, Neville High, St. Frederick, West Monroe High, West Ouachita High, and Wossman High—committed their time and energy to community service, education, and environmental beautification. Interns included:
- 3 Eighth Graders
- 8 Freshmen
- 5 Sophomores
- 4 Juniors
- 25 Seniors
Interns had the opportunity to participate in as many events as they wished—and several even took the initiative to host their own cleanups! A unique component of the program is our educational requirement. This year, interns educated more than 2,000 children and adults through community presentations and outreach efforts.
Impact by the Numbers:
- 625 hours of direct intern community service
- 367 additional volunteers recruited by interns
- ~2,000 total community service hours generated from September to April
- $54,163.20 estimated in-kind value of service, according to Keep Louisiana Beautiful
This year, several outstanding interns were honored for going above and beyond in service, leadership, and dedication. Evergreen Spirit Award
awarded to interns who demonstrated a lasting positive attitude, strong community spirit, and consistent involvement—even when no one was watching.
- Bryson Davis – Claiborne Christian School
- Ellery Prine, Ethan Prine, Gracyn Farrar, Kelsey Kendrick, Mattie Smith – West Ouachita High School
- Obeonte’ Brown, Semaj’ Brown – West Monroe High School
Volunteer Recruitment Award – Grades 8–9
With 52 volunteers recruited, this intern led their peers in inspiring community involvement. Winner: Lily Cobb – Riser Middle School
Volunteer Recruitment Award – Grades 10–12
This high schooler went above and beyond by recruiting 199 volunteers, including hosting three separate community cleanups. Winner: Yuri Cobb
Most Personal Service Hours – Grades 8–9
Quiet yet powerfully consistent, this intern attended virtually every Ouachita Green event, leading among middle-grade peers in dedication and hours committed. Winner: Lily Cobb
Most Personal Service Hours – Grades 10–12
From the very first meeting to nearly every event, this intern consistently showed up, giving over 60 hours of personal time to Ouachita Green through cleanups, educational presentations, and special events. Winner: Yuri Cobb
The Ouachita Green Love Where You Live Intern Program is open to all 8th-12th graders living in Ouachita Parish. Applications for the school year 2025-2026 will be available online at https://ouachitagreen.org/ in August.