School of Education Team participates in Second MN Adopt-A-Highway Clean-up
If you frequent Minnesota highways and byways, chances are you’ve noticed the many blue “MN Adopt-A-Highway” signs that dot the shoulder. Adopt-A-Highway (https://www.dot.state.mn.us/adopt/) is a community service program offered by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) that invites schools, churches, businesses, families and other groups to “adopt” two-mile stretches of MN roadway by committing to pick up litter at least twice each year.
Once MNDOT approves a group’s application to participate in the program, MNDOT provides safety training, brightly-colored vests and garbage bags needed for trash collection along busy roadways. Then, on scheduled dates, group participants remove litter from the roadway, piling the bags for MNDOT collection. In exchange, MNDOT erects conspicuous blue signs to recognize each group’s good work. These grass-roots efforts help build community pride while ensuring a beautiful Minnesota for residents and visitors alike.
The Saint Mary’s School of Education (SoE) adopted a stretch of I-90 between Winona and Rochester (mile markers 244.80 and 246.80) in 2021, and last Thursday, dodged raindrops to perform their second clean-up event. Our team included Katie Hubbard, Karen Sorvaag, Rod Schwarz, David Jackson, Betty Kube, Christopher Bethke (Betty’s son), Becki Warnock, Paul Warnock and Mike Lovorn. Becki and Paul drove down from Minneapolis to participate in the team effort.
In all, the team removed about 25 large bags of garbage from the interstate shoulder and median. Yay SoE! A special acknowledgement goes to Betty Kube who serves as our MNDOT point person and clean-up event coordinator. Thanks, Betty!
We are already looking to schedule our next clean up for a Thursday or Friday in October, and would like to welcome anyone in the Saint Mary’s community, friends and family included, to join us in our efforts.
Michael Lovorn, Ph.D.
Professor and Dean, School of Education
Phone: 507-457-6620(o); 507-458-8997(c)
Email: mlovorn@smumn.edu
