Keeping an attractive community and cleaning up are values we should all aspire to.

And, over the past week, many in Lawrence County’s youth received a hands-on learning experience on the subject.

On Friday, students from Ironton’s Catholic schools, working with the City of Ironton and the Ironton Municipal Court, fanned out downtown and pulled weeds, picked up litter, swept sidewalks and did other tasks, helping the city to brighten its appearance for the upcoming 150th Memorial Day parade.

While on Monday, students from South Point High School’s National Honor Society, working with the Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste District, took time out of their day to pick up trash along Sand Road leading to campus.

As Stephanie Helms, community outreach director for the district, said, by taking part in this clean up, the students will see first hand how much work can go into cleaning up an area they may otherwise take for granted.

And, by picking things up, they will think twice about contributing to any future litter problems.

We commend these students for their community service and thank all who helped to teach them about the importance of community pride.