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TAHLEQUAH, OK - The Cherokee Nation honored members of Miami High School’s Cherokee Volunteer Society,

L-R, Nancy Scott (far left) and Principal Chief Chad Smith (far right) honor members of the Cherokee Volunteer Society: Rebecca Jim, Mason Lovelace, Dustin Craft and Andrew Jenkins.

which has taken a lead role in community awareness and involvement in helping clean up the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund site located just a few blocks from their school.

The Cherokee Volunteer Society at MHS began several years ago in cooperation with Cherokee Nation’s Learn and Serve Program. Since then, the Cherokee Nation’s Nancy Scott and MHS sponsor Rebecca Jim have helped kids learn more about the pollution in Tar Creek, and the kids have taken steps to get the toxic mess cleaned up.

For their achievements, the school has been selected as a National Service-Learning Leader School for it’s excellent service-learning program. For the next two years, Miami High School will serve as a model for other schools, both locally and nationally. MHS will share information on effective practices and ways to advance service-learning as a teaching, learning and community building strategy.

"These kids and teachers have shown the spirit of ga-du-gi," said Principal Chief Chad Smith. "They have demonstrated that traditional Cherokee value of coming together to work and improve their community."