May 23, 2025
Carlie Miranda is a runner. The rising Webster Groves High School senior loves to go for runs around old Webster Groves, Missouri, and she quickly started to notice something – the lack of trash cans accessible to pedestrians and members of the community. So, for her MyImpact Challenge project, she developed a plan to implement more public critter-proof trash cans along heavy traffic roads in Webster Groves. “I want to make a bigger impact on the community and keep the environment safe and healthy,” Miranda said. “People stay engaged with our community and are proud to have it clean while also making it accessible. I want to help increase the number of people out there walking and interacting with our whole community.”
On May 19, Miranda and about two dozen other local high schoolers presented their community service projects at the MyImpact Challenge Showcase for Missouri at the Saint Louis Zoo, hosted by the College of Education’s Center for Character and Citizenship at the University of Missouri–St. Louis in partnership with the Bill of Rights Institute. The event, which built on the momentum from a previous event in April with Sen. Brian Williams, featured tri-fold displays on pressing topics such as ableism in American schools, the housing crisis, food deserts and more. With this being community service-driven, the Center’s staff emphasized the value and real-world impact of the students’ work. Judges evaluated the projects based on communication, clarity, persuasiveness, and public speaking. Winners included projects on law enforcement, juvenile detention center libraries, cyclist safety, and education. Miranda has been in contact with the mayor of Webster Groves about implementing her plan and shared that the experience has taught her how accessible civic action can be.
