By the time the Fourth of July fireworks lit up the sky, Fort Worth had already seen another kind of spark — this one ignited by thousands of high school students in blue corduroy jackets.
From June 30 to July 4, the city played host to the 97th annual Texas FFA State Convention. With more than 13,000 attendees, it’s one of the largest youth-led events in the country. But the students didn’t just show up to shake hands, swap pins, and collect awards. They came ready to work.
True to their motto — “Learning to do. Doing to learn. Earning to live. Living to serve.” — hundreds of FFA members fanned out across the city before the convention officially kicked off, partnering with the city’s Keep Fort Worth Beautiful (KFWB) initiative to tackle a cleanup effort that spanned eight public parks.
“I am a true believer in offering FFA members the opportunity to serve,” Liz Treptow, FFA coordinator and longtime ag science teacher, said. “This gives members and teachers the chance to live out the FFA motto by giving back to the Fort Worth community.”
They did just that. In the span of two days — June 30 and July 1 — 348 FFA members collected 168 bags of trash, hauling off 3,360 pounds of litter and debris, according to the City's website. That’s more than a ton and a half of garbage cleared from parks and green spaces before most of the convention attendees had even arrived downtown.
Since 2021, Texas FFA and KFWB have teamed up during the state convention in Fort Worth, turning the city itself into a classroom on leadership and environmental stewardship. This year, the city’s Environmental Services Department showed up in force. Staff from Keep Fort Worth Beautiful distributed supplies, cooling towels, and cold water at each cleanup site, then followed behind to handle the proper disposal of everything collected.
“I am incredibly proud of these young volunteers for taking the initiative to help clean up our community while enjoying their state convention in Fort Worth,” said Cody Whittenburg, Environmental Services director — and an FFA alum himself. “These efforts set a powerful example of leadership, service, and environmental stewardship.”
That kind of example matters. As Fort Worth continues to grow, efforts to curb litter, promote sustainability, and keep public spaces accessible for all have never been more vital. KFWB’s mission — to educate and engage residents and businesses in protecting their environment — stretches across all ages and abilities. From year-round cleanups like Adopt-A-Spot and the Neighborhood Litter Stomp to initiatives like Green Business Partners and School Green Teams, the program is as much about community building as it is about beautification.
The Texas FFA members didn’t just help clean Fort Worth. They helped show what’s possible when a new generation gets serious about service — one bag of trash at a time.
