At Aventura City of Excellence School(ACES), there is a mission to “develop future leaders…with an unwavering commitment to the Whole Child” and their vision includes a focus on social responsibility which encourages and facilitates ongoing community service. This vision compelled ACES to participate in the Miami- Dade County 40th anniversary Baynanza Biscayne Beach Clean Up. This annual event gathers volunteers at 26 sites along Biscayne Bay for a major shoreline cleanup. Over 70 ACES Eagles participated in the event including National Junior Honor Society members, kindergarten through eighth grade eagles with their families, ACES staff, and community members including Assistant City Manager Bryan Pegues. This group of volunteers woke up bright and early on a Saturday morning to help clean up the bay. Volunteers were outfitted with gloves and large trash bags then ferried over to an island in the bay to begin their clean up. The group spent the next couple of hours exploring the island and clearing debris from the beach to the mangroves. With the sun shining and music blaring everyone felt that they made a difference with each trash bag that was filled. The group was all smiles as they took their photo with over 30 bags of trash collected from the island. The fun-filled day was a great opportunity for ACES students and their families to participate in a school-wide community service project. ACES hopes to continue this annual tradition with giving back to the local community.