To start the year, UNICEF hosted its first official club meeting yesterday, which involved a trash clean-up activity around McLean High School. Club members picked up waste across the school campus to promote cleanliness and environmental awareness. 

The trash clean-up initiative showcases the club members’ commitment to promoting environmental sustainability in the community.

“A big part of UNICEF’s mission is to provide a better opportunity for children all around the world [because] many don’t live in environmental circumstances that are beneficial for them,” said Diego Lowe, the president of UNICEF. “What [UNICEF] wants to do is to show that we can clean up our educational environment to promote a better sense of learning.”

As one of the club’s most frequent activities, the trash clean-up reflects the club’s commitment to environmental stewardship, specifically highlighting the importance of taking care of students’ learning spaces. 

“UNICEF stands for providing the best possible learning opportunity and I think to do this is to promote a clean environment where children can learn and feel safe,” Lowe said. “[Our club] wants to do the same thing for us and symbolize that message.”

The club aims to convey the significance of a clean and safe environment by emphasizing ways to maintain McLean in optimal condition. Like the trash clean-ups, UNICEF’s main goal this school year is to make a greater impact in the community. 

“The biggest goal is to have a wider impact on both the local and international community,” said Lowe. “This means raising more money through fundraising events and reaching out to nonprofit organizations to know the people in our community.”