All the St. James Youth Council wanted to do was start a schoolwide recycling program.

Sounds easy enough, right?

“We wanted to start with a simple project, something we could work with,” said Doug Utecht, St. James senior and this year’s Youth Council vice president. “But, nope, it was really hard.”

The St. James Youth Council formed two years ago as a way for students to serve the community and put a spotlight on the good deeds of teens. As their inaugural project, Council leaders chose to start a recycling program throughout St. James Public Schools.

Now, after working for two years to get the program off the ground, the diligence has paid off. St. James Youth Council members were given a Minnesota Student Service Award from Gov. Tim Pawlenty during a ceremony Thursday at the Capitol. Former St. James student and current Gustavus Adolphus student Julio Zeleya was the keynote speaker.

“These kids really deserved it,” said Sue Harris, director of St. James community education and project adviser.

To get the project rolling, the council started by contacting school and city officials. Responses were favorable — once they were finally able to get in touch through phone and e-mail.

Then students contacted Waste Management officials to work out a plan for collecting and delivering the district’s recyclables. They also had to procure several official green recycling receptacles to place around the school and grounds.

Finally, students had to develop a recycling system within the schools that would not tax an already overworked custodial staff but would still discourage a districtwide fruit fly infestation.

“We started the project in September,” said senior council President Claudia Martinez, “and it took us all year.”

With the basic program in place, the council has been trying to expand the program. Members now share the weekly duty of collecting the recyclables with special education students. They’ve placed extra receptacles at sporting events and have continued encouraging their peers to consider the environmental impacts of simply chucking their cans and bottles into the trash.

“It’s a good thing to do for our planet,” Martinez said. “And it shows that youth are doing good things, too.”

The council takes its community involvement seriously. With 20 members last year and 28 this year, all high school students are eligible — but they must submit to an application process to even be selected.

In addition to the recycling program, the council also maintains a calendar of possible volunteer opportunities to encourage classmates to get involved.

“The youth in this town get such a bad perception,” Utecht said. “But most of us are pretty good citizens.”