Business Students Invite Community to Social Entrepreneurship Project
Business students at Bluefield College are working hard to improve the communities of McDowell County, West Virginia, and they are inviting local residents to join the cause.
In fact, local residents are invited to join BC business students in a community service trash pick-up day in McDowell County on Sunday, April 28 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. as part of the students’ final project for a Social Entrepreneurship class.
The objective of the class is to “build future entrepreneurs by assessing community needs and implementing solutions.” During a field trip to McDowell County, students said they observed areas in great need of cleanup assistance. That’s why when it came time for the students to decide their final project for the class, they agreed on addressing McDowell County’s environmental issues.
“On our way there, [we saw] uncountable bags of trash all over [the] surroundings, outside the houses, or in the common areas like parks or parking lots,” said business student and marketing lead of the event Gabriel Blakman. “There were also tires all over the place from trucks that they didn’t know what to do with.”
The Social Entrepreneurship students include Blakman, Hunter Alto, Christen Brewster, Austin Eatmon, Olatunji Ebifemi, Brianna Farrar, Terrence Hall, Yaroslav Hnatusko, Glen Scott, Kevin Stoffle, and Satoshi Yamada.
The community service event on April 28 will consist of picking up trash followed by a “bonfire at the end with live music, food, and reflections about taking care of the environment,” said Blakman. Stoffle, project manager of the event, said all local residents – including BC students – are invited to participate.
Although it is not necessary to stay for the entire time, students assure the more people helping, the better and the quicker they can clean everything. The students will also be taking before and after photos and sharing them on social media with #TrashTag to show the community what they can achieve by working together.
“I would really like as many people as possible to come out and support us, but also support the people and the community that are in need,” said Stoffle.
The community service and the following bonfire will take place at 37 Valerie Street, Valls Creek, WV 24815. For more information contact BC business professor David Hite by email at dhite@bluefield.edu.