Are you a student who wants to volunteer or needs volunteer hours? Whether for personal motivations, community service requirements for high school or college, a school project, an extracurricular activity, or even for college applications, you can earn service hours with the Adopt-A-Highway program! Through volunteering with the program, you’ll practice mālama ʻāina (care for the land) and mālama i ka wai (protect the waters), and be part of the solution in fighting against the tide of trash and debris that pollute Hawaiʻi’s communities and environment.
When you join the Adopt-A-Highway program, you’ll adopt a two-mile section for two years, cleaning up litter along your portion of highway at least four times annually. You set your own cleanup schedule, so you can pencil in a cleanup between homework sessions, after your last class of the day, or during your weekend beach outing. You can even bring your friends and family along to volunteer with you and talk story while you work – making our highways cleaner, safer, and lifestyles brighter.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation provides all of the supplies that you need to get started (safety vests, trash bags, and gloves) at no cost to you and arranges the pick up of any trash bags that you fill up and leave by the roadside during your cleanups.
While you celebrate finding the perfect volunteer opportunity to fulfill your service hours, make sure to read through these FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about the program:
- Who can join the program? Anyone, from individuals or families to school clubs and community organizations, can participate in the Adopt-A-Highway program! Volunteers must be at least 12 years old and, for those ages 12 to 17, complete a Parental Release Form. Groups with underage participants must also have at least 2 adults (over age 18) present for every 10 underage volunteers, to ensure their safety and avoid injuries.
- Can I receive signatures for volunteer hours? Yes, an Adopt-A-Highway coordinator can assist you in receiving signed Volunteer Certificates.
- How many hours can I volunteer with the program? As long as you complete the minimum four annual cleanups, there is no maximum for the hours that you can volunteer or the number of cleanups that you can conduct.
- How much does it cost? Nothing! The program is completely free to participate in. All equipment (safety vests, trash bags, and gloves) is provided free of charge.
To learn more and get involved in keeping your community clean, complete the interest form on our webpage or reach out to us at adopt-a-highway@stormwaterhawaii.com and an Adopt-A-Highway coordinator will help you adopt a segment. Be instrumental in keeping trash off our roadways and out of our ocean, while earning volunteer hours at the same time, by signing up today!
