Students picking up litter, raising funds to preserve Great Lakes

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—Students from Western Michigan University's Grand Rapids Master of Business Administration program are partnering with the Alliance for the Great Lakes to host a beach cleanup and fundraiser from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 24, at Holland State Park. The impact project is part of a long history of such projects in the WMU MBA program.

"One of the key goals of the class is to help students examine their personal leadership styles," says Derrick McIver, WMU assistant professor of management. "This community project provides students that opportunity. The idea is to give them autonomy over the team, task, time and technique. The only challenge is they must have an impact. If done effectively, students learn about community leadership, teamwork, collaboration and leading with a purpose—all while having an impact."

Beach litter should be no match for the 15 students in the Leading People and Organizations management class organizing the event. Community members are invited to help with the cleanup and learn more about keeping beaches and water pollution-free.

According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, more than 5,000 metric tons of plastic entered Lake Michigan in 2016. And an estimated 10,000 metric tons of plastic pollution from the United States and Canada enter all of the Great Lakes each year.

Funds raised through the event will go directly to the Alliance for the Great Lakes to continue making the Great Lakes healthy and safe for all. Previous impact projects hosted by WMU include an ALS fundraising mission that garnered more than $13,000 and events for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Michigan city of Watervliet.

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