Longtime Clinton youth advocate J.C. Smith has seen a lot of good work done by local students during his many years of Scouting and advising the local high school leadership program. But the latest Clinton High School S.T.A.R.T. project has the always-smiling Smith grinning more than ever, literally from ear to ear.

S.T.A.R.T., an acronym for Students Together Achieving Responsible Tasks, is Clinton’s entry in the Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ (CFO) Youth Empowerment Program (YEP).  There are more than 35 YEP groups throughout the Missouri Ozarks, and their common mission is to engage students in thoughtful service and philanthropic activities.  It is place-based education at its best, and students learn about community needs, the tenets of philanthropy, and how to strengthen their respective communities with small grants and service projects.

Clinton’s S.T.A.R.T. program was well established before becoming a part of YEP, but the ensuing partnership has been beneficial to the local group and the overall YEP effort. Smith, who also finds time to serve on the Truman Lake Community Foundation (serving Clinton and surrounding Henry County), has become a familiar and welcome face at YEP regional events that focus on training and development. But even the ever-optimistic Smith has been astounded by what his S.T.A.R.T. students accomplished when they set out to create a public 9-11 memorial for the tragic event’s tenth anniversary and remembrance.

In 2010 the students learned of an opportunity to garner one of a limited number of steel pieces from the World Trade Center.  Led by Bethany Van Winkle (now a freshman at Missouri State University), the students decided to flaunt the odds and began trying to procure the historic relic, obtain funding, and plan a suitable memorial on Clinton’s beautiful downtown square—hoping all efforts would come together in a successful manner. After months of hard work and keeping fingers crossed, S.T.A.R.T. students learned their project had been selected and they were quickly able to raise $25,000 for the memorial and installation.

The steel, a small, bent piece from the bottom of the north tower, now rests on a simple pedestal in front of an appropriate memorial and the Henry County Courthouse. “That was quite a day when the piece of steel arrived,” said Smith. “There was a real sense of reverence when we opened the package.  I still find it hard to believe these kids pulled it off, and you just wouldn’t believe how many people stop, get out of their cars, and come over to the memorial to pay their respects.” He added, “This is a contribution to our community that these kids will always remember and take pride in.”