The Lake Region High School ASTRA Club won a third place award for their “Yellow Tulip Garden” Service Project at the Altrusa International Convention held in San Antonio, Texas.

ASTRA — which stands for Ability, Service, Training, Responsibility, Achievement — is sponsored by the Altrusa International Club of Portland. The LRHS ASTRA club formed in 2017 for the purpose of supporting high schoolers in their pursuit of community service in the SAD 61 towns of Bridgton, Casco and Naples.

The ASTRA club, which numbered 45 students prior to Covid-19, originally built the Yellow Tulip Garden in conjunction with Opportunity Alliance at the Bridgton Community Center to help increase mental health awareness and to show support for the mental health initiatives. ASTRA has continued to maintain the garden of yellow tulips, now located at Lake Region High School, in solidarity with those who currently or previously have experienced mental illness. The impact of the Yellow Tulip Garden is a visible reminder that the ASTRA club is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for those affected by mental illness.