Cleanup Central is an interscholastic environmental movement turning student passion into real community action. We're inviting Durham's schools to compete, collaborate, and clean up.
Durham is a vibrant, growing city—but like every city, it struggles with pollution that harms its waterways, wildlife, and communities. We believe students have the power to drive real change. Here's what we envision:
Mobilizing young people as environmental leaders in their own communities.
Collaborating with local organizations, schools, and city officials for lasting impact.
Tracking pounds of trash removed, participation rates, and environmental improvement over time.
Durham's natural environment is under pressure. These are the facts that drive our urgency.
A multi-year study of NC waterway trash traps found that 96% of litter pulled from streams was plastic—exactly the kind of waste student cleanups can intercept before it reaches our rivers and the coast.
In 2023, North Carolinians spent more than $56 million cleaning up 14.6 million pounds of litter. Student-led prevention is one of the cheapest, most effective ways to reduce that bill.
Through Durham Creek Week alone, 2,783 volunteers have collected over 152,000 pounds of litter from local creeks—proof that organized community cleanups work, and that students can be the next wave.
We're launching an interscholastic cleanup competition connecting private schools across the Triangle in a friendly race to make the biggest environmental impact.
Teams from each school sign up and select their cleanup zones near campus.
Students organize and conduct cleanup events, logging their data in our tracking system.
Points are awarded for volume, participation, and community impact. Winners are recognized publicly.
Cleanup Central is designed around student action. However, we're building a movement that invites everyone in the Durham area to get involved.
Join the competition, earn recognition, and develop real leadership skills while making your school's neighborhood cleaner and safer.
Register your school →Partner with us to identify high-priority pollution zones, provide resources, and demonstrate civic commitment to a healthier Durham.
Become a partner →Volunteer at cleanup events, spread awareness, or support participating schools. Together we can remove thousands of pounds of trash.
Get involved →Amplify your environmental commitment by sponsoring events, providing supplies, or offering matching incentives for cleanup milestones.
Sponsor us →We're looking for schools, organizations, and local leaders who share our belief that a cleaner community starts with student action. Your support makes this competition possible.
We're Vihaan, Liam S, Andrew, and Liam Z—eighth graders at Durham Academy Middle School. Cleanup Central started as a class project and grew into something we believe can actually change our community.
Cleanup Central didn't start in a boardroom or a nonprofit office. It started in a middle school classroom with a simple question: What if students could actually fix this?
We noticed the litter along roads, in parks, and near local waterways. We saw the data on pollution's impact on our community. And we realized that while the problem felt big, the solution could start small—with students like us organizing cleanups, competing with other schools, and building habits of environmental responsibility that will last a lifetime.
We combined planning, research, and community outreach to design Cleanup Central—a program that we hope will outlast our time in middle school and grow into a lasting Durham tradition.
The four of us start Cleanup Central as part of a school project focused on community action and environmental leadership.
We study Durham's pollution data, connect with local organizations, and design the competition framework.
Cleanup Central goes public. We begin reaching out to schools and potential partners across the Durham area.
The inaugural interscholastic cleanup competition launches, with schools competing to make the greatest environmental impact.
We hope Cleanup Central will continue growing, adding more schools, more cities, and more students each year.
Four 8th graders from Durham Academy Middle School, united by a passion for their community and a belief that students can drive real change.
Co-Founder & Project Lead
Strategy & PlanningCo-Founder & Outreach Lead
Community RelationsCo-Founder & Research Lead
Data & ResearchCo-Founder & Creative Lead
Design & CommunicationsCleanup Central is just getting started. Here's what we're working toward as we grow.
Grow the competition to include public and private schools across the greater Triangle, making it one of the region's most recognized student environmental programs.
Work directly with Durham city officials and the Department of Public Works to identify high-priority cleanup zones and develop long-term environmental action plans.
Set and track annual goals for pounds of litter removed from Durham's streets, parks, and waterways—publishing our results transparently for the community.
Whether you're a school looking to compete, an organization that wants to partner, or a community member who cares about Durham—there's a place for you in Cleanup Central.
Durham's first student-led interscholastic environmental competition. Schools compete. Communities win. The planet gets a little better.
Fill out the registration form and designate a faculty advisor and student team leader for your school.
Select a cleanup area near your school—a park, road, trail, or neighborhood—that will be your team's focus area.
Schedule and run cleanup events throughout the season, logging trash weight, participants, and photos.
Earn points, climb the leaderboard, and be recognized at our end-of-season celebration event.
We designed our scoring system to reward total impact—not just the biggest school or the most resources.
The biggest factor: pounds of litter removed from Durham's environment, verified with official weigh-ins at each cleanup event.
Weighted by percentage of enrolled students who participate—so smaller schools can compete fairly against larger ones.
Points for organizing multiple events, recruiting community volunteers, and raising environmental awareness beyond the school.
The complete scoring rulebook—covering specific point values, verification procedures, tie-breakers, and event-logging instructions—is available as a Google Form below. View the rulebook →
Schools can register their teams, designate advisors, and begin planning their cleanup zones.
Now OpenFinal deadline for school registrations. Cleanup zones must be confirmed by this date.
UpcomingSchools begin running and logging cleanup events. The leaderboard goes live.
UpcomingAll cleanup events must be completed and logged by this date to count toward final scores.
FutureEnd-of-season event where winning schools are recognized.
FutureEvery cleanup event is logged in our tracking system. Watch the scores update in real time throughout the competition season.
Registration is free, open to all eligible schools, and takes less than 5 minutes. Join us in making Durham cleaner.
Pollution in Durham isn't just an eyesore—it affects public health, wildlife, water quality, and the quality of life for everyone who calls this city home. Here's what we're up against, and what we're doing about it.
Durham's stormwater system carries litter directly into local creeks and the Neuse River, threatening aquatic habitats and downstream drinking water quality.
Animals mistake plastic litter for food, causing injury and death. Durham's natural areas are home to dozens of at-risk species affected by pollution.
Polluted environments are linked to higher rates of respiratory illness, especially in low-income neighborhoods that often bear a disproportionate pollution burden.
Litter depresses property values, deters tourism, and forces municipalities to spend millions on cleanup that could fund schools, parks, and infrastructure.
Durham is one of North Carolina's fastest-growing cities. As it grows, the pressure on its environment grows too. Cleanup Central is here to make sure that growth comes with responsibility.
Our approach combines direct cleanup action with education, advocacy, and long-term community building.
Organizing and running regular cleanup events at high-litter areas near participating schools, removing trash and documenting conditions before and after.
Documenting litter types, quantities, and locations to help city officials and environmental organizations understand Durham's most critical pollution hotspots.
Bringing environmental education into classrooms through workshops, presentations, and hands-on activities that teach students why their actions matter.
Using social media, school newsletters, and local media to raise awareness about Durham's pollution challenges and inspire more people to take action.
Working with local nonprofits, city agencies, and environmental organizations to amplify our impact and connect cleanup efforts to broader policy changes.
Publishing annual impact reports that hold us accountable and show the community the measurable progress we're making year over year.
Education is at the heart of what we do. We want every student in Durham to understand why the environment matters—and what they can do about it. Here are our education foci:
How litter on Durham's streets travels through storm drains into local waterways and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean—and what we can do to stop it.
Most plastic litter takes between 100 and 1,000 years to break down in the environment. Understanding the permanence of pollution helps motivate prevention.
Pollution doesn't affect all communities equally. Low-income and minority neighborhoods often face higher pollution burdens—and fewer resources to address them.
From property values to healthcare costs to tourism revenue, understanding pollution's financial impact helps make the case for investment in prevention.
History is full of examples of young people driving environmental change. Cleanup Central is proof that students don't have to wait to make a difference.
Exploring the local species, waterways, and natural habitats that depend on a clean environment—and how they're being affected by pollution today.
Every pound of trash removed, every student educated, and every school that joins makes Durham a little better. Join Cleanup Central and be part of the change.
Whether you're a school looking to compete, an organization interested in partnering, or a community member who wants to help—we'd love to hear from you.
Cleanup Central is a student-run initiative, and we're always looking for new schools, partners, and supporters to join the movement. Reach out and let's talk.
Durham, North Carolina
cleanupcentral@durhamacademy.org
(Sample — update with real email)
Looking to sponsor or partner? Use the form and select "Partnership" as your topic.
Interested in registering your school? We'll respond to competition inquiries within 3 business days.
Explore the most common ways people connect with Cleanup Central.
Cleanup Central is more than a student project—it's a coalition. We're building partnerships with schools, nonprofits, city agencies, and local businesses who share our commitment to a cleaner Durham.
We're actively building our partnership network. These are the types of organizations we're seeking—and the spots we're excited to fill.
Our home institution and the birthplace of Cleanup Central. Durham Academy Middle School students lead the initiative and compete in Year One.
Organizations like Keep Durham Beautiful, Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association, and Triangle Land Conservancy—we'd love to connect.
We're seeking a relationship with Durham's Department of Public Works and Office of Sustainability to align cleanup efforts with city priorities.
Durham-area businesses who want to demonstrate environmental leadership and connect with schools and community members who share their values.
Local media partners who can help amplify our message, cover cleanup events, and recognize student environmental leaders publicly.
Academic institutions who can support our pollution data collection, validate our methods, and help us publish our findings to a broader audience.
Partnering with Cleanup Central isn't just a good deed—it's a strategic investment in Durham's future and your organization's reputation as a community leader.
Your organization's branding featured prominently on the Cleanup Central website and all event materials.
Demonstrate authentic environmental commitment to Durham-area residents, parents, and students.
Opportunity to participate in and be recognized at cleanup events, competition day, and the awards celebration.
Annual report citing your contribution's measurable environmental impact in terms of pounds removed and students engaged.
Regular recognition across Cleanup Central's social platforms throughout the competition season.
We offer flexible partnership options from in-kind supply donations to full sponsorship of the competition season. Click a tier to learn more.