K-5 Finalists
Congratulations to the elementary school Finalists of the 2011 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge!
Choose A State To View Finalist Team
Arkansas
- Grade Level 3-5
- Team Name Roberts Recycles!
- Location Little Rock, AR
- School Don Roberts Elementary School
- Teacher/Mentor Gwendolynn Combs
- DescriptionTeam Roberts Recycles! took a trip to their school’s dumpster and were disappointed to discover that it was filled with plastic bags, juice pouches and paper, so they decided to launch a school-wide, three-part recycling program. They educated everyone at their school so they understood how much garbage they throw away and then split into groups to focus on recycling, reducing, and reusing Ziploc bags, juice boxes and paper. They then sent items to a local organization that pays for each item collected to help fund the program. The team made morning announcements, looped their PowerPoint during lunch, and posted flyers on collection bins the dining room. The team noticed a dramatic increase in recycling and is starting a Recycling Club to help sustain the program.
California
- Grade Level 3-5
- Team Name Bullis Bears
- Location Los Altos, CA
- School Bullis Charter School
- Teacher/Mentor Lynn Reed
- DescriptionAfter learning that the banks of their local creek were eroding away, students on this team worked together with a local nature preserve to develop an erosion control method and prevent loss of habitat. Students collected data and researched riparian environments and native species to each develop a plan for habitat restoration. The students visited the site to pull up non-native species, plant grass seed, and install an irrigation system, an erosion control blanket and straw wattles. They found that their methods were very successful in preventing erosion and restoring habitat and continue to work with staff at the nature preserve.
California
- Grade Level 3-5
- Team Name Kumeyaay Science Team
- LocationSan Diego, CA
- School Kumeyaay Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorGay Young
- DescriptionThis team joined the “Drink Pouch Brigade” with a local recycling organization to collect empty juice pouches and recycle them into school supplies, such as backpacks or pencil holders. After initiating a campaign to educate their school on the issue, the team hung posters around the school and visited classrooms. Additionally, they created bins to collect juice pouches at lunchtime and designed a flyer to send home to parents to get families involved in the initiative. They measured their data and were able to recycle over 1,500 pouches during their campaign period!
California
- Grade Level K-2
- Team Name Kinder Cubs on the Move
- LocationDelano, CA
- SchoolHarvest Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorSally Belflower
- DescriptionTo help the environment and improve their health, students in this class decided to find a way to encourage fellow students to get moving by walking or riding their bike to school. After researching the importance of biking or walking, the class started a challenge that awarded students with raffle tickets and bottles of water for walking or riding their bikes. They raffled off scooters and bicycles. They raised awareness by notifying and surveying parents and reminding students over the announcements each week. Their data showed a dramatic increase in the number of walkers and bicycle riders. By helping their peers discover that it is fun to walk or ride a bicycle to school, they have reduced pollution and made the habit a healthy routine in their lives.
Colorado
- Grade Level 3-5
- Team NameHEROs: Helpful Energy Resource Officers
- LocationCastle Rock, CO
- SchoolFlagstone Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorChantel Astler
- DescriptionIn order to reduce the impact of budget cuts on students, this green energy team was created to help staff and students learn energy-saving habits and earn money for their building. They started by having the district’s energy manager visit the school to find hidden energy costs. They focused on four areas: lights on in empty rooms, computers not in sleep mode, projectors on when not in use, document cameras on when not being used. They collected data daily by auditing each room, which they shared with staff. They initiated a school-wide energy-saving challenge which would reward classrooms for saving energy. After the program, their data showed up to a 24% reduction in energy use and the district energy manager notified them that they saved more energy than any other school in their district. The team has been working closely with the district energy manager in hopes of sharing this no-cost plan with districts around the country.
Colorado
- Grade Level K-2
- Team NameA Class Turned Green
- LocationDenver, CO
- School Denver Green School
- Teacher/MentorMandy Lover
- DescriptionThis project focused on reducing the number of lights used at their school after students conducted an audit of the school and found that there were more lights than necessary and lights were left on in unoccupied classrooms or rooms with natural light. Students depicted their findings from the audit in bar charts and then developed a presentation to share their findings and solutions with faculty. They helped remove almost 200 light bulbs in the classrooms, hallways, gym, and office. They also educated the school community about turning off lights when they are not in the classroom and using as much natural light as possible. Students created and placed stickers above light switches to remind people to turn them off, created posters, visited classes to share their project, and instituted a Light Sheriff program. Each Light Sheriff has the responsibility to make sure the lights in the classroom are turned off when the room is unoccupied. They continue to work on the project and monitor the amount of energy their school is saving.
Florida
- Grade Level K-2
- Team NameWATER RESCUERS
- LocationLakeland, FL
- SchoolLincoln Avenue Academy
- Teacher/MentorMijana Lockard
- DescriptionWater shortage is a big problem. Team WATER RESCUERS noticed that sprinklers at their school were going off even when it was raining and that there was a large amount of water being wasted. They decided that their school needed to change the way they use water outdoors. The team first studied water conservation, looking at the Florida aquifer and heard from a representative from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. They further studied where water was being lost outdoors at their school and the soil and plants in their gardens. The class then made rain barrels to collect water on rainy days and transformed every garden at their school into xeriscapes, a type of garden that uses minimal water. They educated their school through a video that they created and presentations, and gave tours of the xeriscapes to community members. Students plan to develop a documentary that will be broadcast on their school board channel. They also hope to introduce their plan to the district's school board and campaign to reduce outdoors water waste at all schools around the district.
Florida
- Grade Level 3-5
- Team NameEarth Defenders
- Location Orlando, FL
- School Sunrise Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorTricia LaChance
- DescriptionStudents were concerned with the amount of waste being thrown away at their school so they decided to revamp their paper recycling program and reduce the amount of Styrofoam trays being thrown away at lunch. They visited their local landfill to find more information and then increased the number of recycling bins and institute no-trash days. They learned that their local zoo was already working with an organization to recycle their Styrofoam and that this organization would also recycle the school’s Styrofoam trays. The students educated others through posters, a video they produced, features in the newsletter and emails and through presentations to all other elementary schools in their district. They made a significant impact in their school and are working to get a district wide route in place to recycle trays.
Florida
- Grade Level 3-5
- Team NameHoward ECO Patrol
- LocationTitusville, FL
- SchoolApollo Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorMirtha Howard
- DescriptionThis team developed a recycling program at their school to recycle paper, aluminum and plastic. The team visited a local landfill to learn about recycling and created an illustrated book to teach students about recycling. The team also created videos for their morning announcements. They worked together to collect data on the effectiveness of their recycling program and were surprised that they had recycled a few thousand pounds of paper and counting. They have noticed a positive change in attitudes toward recycling and have been contacted by other schools in their district to expand the program.
Florida
- Grade Level K-2
- Team NameKindergarten
- LocationClearwater, FL
- SchoolSt. Paul's School
- Teacher/Mentor Karen Zilhaver
- DescriptionThis project focused on conserving material resources, such as paper and plastic, at their school through a recycling campaign. Students created posters to raise awareness and then decorated recycled boxes to use as collection bins to collect drink containers and paper. After distributing the boxes and explaining how to use them, the students began collecting and graphing data and found that many people were happy to recycle. In fact, many teachers have requested more, so the students are working to create and distribute more bins from recycled boxes. They have learned that they can make a difference in the environment.
Georgia
- Grade Level K-2
- Team NameFrom Plastic to Fantastic
- LocationCumming, GA
- SchoolVickery Creek Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorLaura Fedorchuk
- DescriptionThe students on this team were concerned about the use of plastic bags for shopping and noticed that their two neighborhood grocery stores did not offer any incentives to shoppers for using reusable bags. The team visited a landfill to see the damage being done and then visited their grocery stores to collect data on the amount of plastic bags being used. The students created an awareness campaign and started by producing and sharing informational videos. They also visited their grocery stores every week with posters reminding parents to use reusable bags and surveyed shoppers. In addition, they started selling reusable bags at parents’ nights and reached out to larger grocery chains to find out about providing incentives for using reusable bags. From their data, they noticed a dramatic increase in the number of reusable bags used and have reached out to their senator and mayor for additional support.
Georgia
- Grade Level 3-5
- Team Name4th Grade Horizons: Wed
- Location Cumming, GA
- SchoolShiloh Point Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorElizabeth Stevens
- DescriptionThis team sought ways to save energy and money at their school and designed the “Turn it Off” Challenge, which encouraged teachers and students to turn off computers when not in use or at the end of the day. They produced a video to persuade students to take the challenge, showing how easy it is to turn computers off. They also hung posters and shared the challenge on the morning announcements. They are consulting with the Directors of Facilities to measure the decrease in energy use and hope other schools will create similar green teams.
Georgia
- Grade Level 3-5
- Team Name4th Grade Horizons: Tues
- LocationCumming, GA
- School Shiloh Point Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorElizbeth Stevens
- DescriptionAfter talking with a representative from their county’s environmental organization, this team decided to focus on recycling milk bottles in the cafeteria. The team started a recycling contest that included an awareness campaign—with posters, a video and morning announcements—that challenged classes to recycle milk bottles and other plastic containers with a "1" or "2" on them. The team created trophies out of recycled milk containers to award to those classes that recycled the most and produced a video to educate others. They are organizing an assembly to educate “class experts” on the recycling program and will initiate the program again next year.
Illinois
- Grade LevelK-2
- Team Namepaper tigeRRRs
- LocationAddison, IL
- SchoolSt. Philip the Apostle School
- Teacher/MentorAmanda Coulter
- DescriptionTeam paper tigeRRRS looked at the results from a waste audit at their school and found that approximately 5, 653 pounds of paper were disposed of through recycling or garbage per year and that they use the equivalent of 30 trees per year in copies alone! They chose to target the copier, the printer, and paper reuse. They developed many solutions, including two-sided copying and printing, avoiding the use of full sheets of paper when possible, utilizing phones, email, and the school website to send messages to parents and reusing boxes. Students even created a video to inform others and presented their information to other students in the school. Through teachers and students they have dramatically reduced the amount of paper used.
Indiana
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NameLIGHTNING
- LocationEvansville, IN
- SchoolScott Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorNatalie Bunnell
- DescriptionBecause of the size of their school, many attempts to create a recycling program had failed in the past. Team LIGHTNING wanted to create a recycling program that would be successful in their school. The students independently created power point presentations, dialogue for explaining the dilemma and then the benefits of a recycling program, and a welcoming speech that they presented to administration. They created new presentations for their classmates along with posters and bulletin boards to hang in the hallway and had the Director of Recycling from a local recycling organization visit. Their custodial department purchased the proper receptacles and materials to collect recycled items. The students took turns collecting the bins and were impressed at how much was being collected. They continue to meet each day and are expanding the items they collect and the number of students participating.
Indiana
- Grade LevelK-2
- Team NameA Second to Change
- LocationSchererville, IN
- SchoolForest Ridge Academy
- Teacher/MentorMichelle Frantal
- DescriptionAfter seeing how fast the school dumpsters fill up, these students decided to reduce waste and improve recycling at their school. The team started recycling contest at their school and started collecting wrappers of chips, cookies, energy bars, and juice pouches to send to Terracycle (a company that up-cycles wrappers and turns them into new goods). The class created commercials to run on their morning announcements encouraging students to reduce, reuse and recycle. Then, eco-tips were sent home to parents to show them how to create lunches that produce less waste. They noticed collection of wrappers went up 40% and more students were bringing their lunch in reusable containers.
Kentucky
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NameDeskins Science
- LocationWittensville, KY
- SchoolW.R. Castle Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorCherie Deskins
- DescriptionTeam Deskins Science implemented two methods to reduce the amount of garbage being produced at their school: recycling and composting. After researching information on the topic, the students made announcements at the school about the project and made presentations to classrooms to encourage students to participate. The team sold pencils made from recycled materials to raise money to purchase composting and recycling bins. They educated the student body on how to properly recycle and compost and have changed their peers’ habits and attitudes. Lunchroom waste was reduced by 64%!
Maryland
- Grade LevelK-2
- Team NameConcord Hill Greenies
- LocationChevy Chase, MD
- SchoolConcord Hill School
- Teacher/MentorJack Daggitt
- DescriptionThe Concord Hill Greenies learned that an idling car gets zero miles per gallon, yet still produces 20 pounds of carbon dioxide for every gallon of gas it burns. To help solve the issue of cars lining up and idling in the pickup area before and after school, the team turned to Queuing Theory, which provides a way to analyze queues or lines with the goal of making them move faster and more efficiently. The team collected data on the number and patterns of cars idling and interviewed teachers to get their input. The team also performed simulations to develop the best solution for efficiency and eliminating car idling. They changed the pickup procedure to stagger pickup times and communicated the change with parents through weekly messages. Additionally, the students created a video and posted it on the web to educate students and parents. Compliance was nearly 97%. The team collected data and found that cars spent 70% less time idling than before the campaign, significantly reducing the amount of pollution produced at their school from idling cars.
Michigan
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NameBrownBurdick 5th Grade
- LocationBloomfield Hills, MI
- SchoolBirmingham Covington School
- Teacher/MentorTammy Brown
- DescriptionThis team decided to focus on the issue of plastics recycling at their school after learning that only 12% of disposable water bottles are recycled. They researched the issue and discovered that leaving liquids in bottles and the caps on when recycling are two habits that impact the speed at which bottles can be recycled. Through a survey, they found that many students practiced these behaviors. The team created posters and presented on the morning announcements to target these specific issues and created an exhibit with a 7ft tall water bottle made from recycled bottles with facts about water recycling. Additionally, they wrote a play centered on the project, which they will perform for their school, and sponsored several contests to encourage students to remove the caps from their water bottles before recycling. They have contacted the company that collects their recycled materials and have shared their project with district "Green" representatives.
Michigan
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NameGreen-ergies
- LocationBloomfield Hills, MI
- SchoolBirmingham Covington School
- Teacher/MentorRick Joseph
- DescriptionTeam Green-ergies tackled the issue of energy consumption in their school after learning that the U.S. contributes a quarter of the world’s energy use and produces more than half its power through coal-fired plants. The class created PSAs on the importance of turning off classroom lights, powering down digital devices and avoiding the use of automatic door openers. They also formed a Green-ergies Power Patrol, responsible for monitoring the hallways afterschool to make sure all power-saving measures were taken. They determined that their school’s electrical use had decreased by more than 10% from the same time the year before. Their follow-up survey showed that they successfully changed student and staff habits regarding energy consumption.
Missouri
- Grade LevelK-2
- Team NameTrash-Free for Me
- LocationClayton, MO
- SchoolGlenridge Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorSusan Carter
- DescriptionThis team wanted to increase recycling in their classroom and help educate the school to reduce waste created during lunchtime. They started by researching the problem and then creating flyers, posters, and tabletop signs to put in the cafeteria to let others know. They also informed their principal and other grades, as well as parents, teachers and the community, about the initiative through the school newsletter and website. The team measured the trash every day in the cafeteria and noticed that their campaign made a significant impact on the amount of trash being produced. They are working with a specialist to try and expand the plan and get others involved.
North Carolina
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NamePasse/Herring
- LocationCharlotte, NC
- SchoolBarringer Academic Center
- Teacher/MentorMindy Passe
- DescriptionAlthough classrooms in their school had recycling bins, students on this team noticed that they were not always being used. Their teacher invited a forestry biometrician to help the students learn more about the connection between recycling and trees and the team decided to focus their project on reducing paper waste. They spread the word through posters created from recycled paper, their morning announcements and the school paper and encouraged teachers to use recycled paper for homework and tests. They gathered data by weighing the recycling bins before and after their campaign and were surprised to find that the weight of recycled material actually decreased, until they realized that this was because students and teachers were reducing paper use and reusing paper. They posted their findings on a Glog and the student website and created a video to share to continue the project.
New Hampshire
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NameRBS Green Team
- LocationBedford, NH
- SchoolRiddle Brook Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorKathy Parker
- DescriptionThis team decided to focus on increasing recycling during lunchtime and educating students and faculty on the importance of producing less trash. Students introduced their recycling project at student-run school meetings and initiated “one ingredient snack days,” during which students were encouraged to bring unprocessed snacks, like apples and carrots, which require less packaging. The team created posters, a play, a “rap,” wearable recycling mascot costumes, and presentations, which they shared with the school and community. The team collected data on the number of bottles and cans recycled in their new bins and calculated that they have reduced each grade’s trash by about ten pounds a day!
Nevada
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NameThe Green Team
- LocationNorth Las Vegas, NV
- SchoolVincent L. Triggs Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorMelissa Herout
- DescriptionThis team’s project focused on reducing and recycling waste in their lunchroom. They had students recycle one new item per week, such as juice boxes, chip bags, and aluminum cans, through a local organization that pays for certain items and collected data to determine the effect on the amount of recycling. They also instituted “Double Green Days” once a week, during which students were challenged to bring no-waste lunches. The team spread the word by hanging posters, making a bulletin board, and communicating to parents through the school newsletter and regular phone messages. They observed a drastic increase in overall recycling habits. Their team has grown in size and they continue to expand their recycling program.
Nevada
- Grade LevelK-2
- Team NameTeam Challengers
- LocationLas Vegas, NV
- SchoolElaine Wynn Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorLinda Avendano
- DescriptionThe goal of this team’s project was to reduce the amount of paper and water being wasted in the bathrooms at their school after noticing how much paper students use to dry their hands and the excessive use of water to flush and wash their hands. They created posters to hang in the bathrooms and took trips to educate other classes. The students also created and performed skits during lunch periods to raise awareness. They collected data by photographing the bathrooms and measuring the amount of waste in the trashcans and the amount of times the toilets were overflowing due to excessive flushing. Although it took longer than expected for behaviors to change, they did notice an improvement in the students’ habits and the cleanliness of the bathroom. They are presenting their project to others to keep up the changes.
New York
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NameThe Magnificent Maddens
- LocationGarden City, NY
- SchoolStratford Avenue Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorRobyn Madden
- DescriptionStudents on this team were concerned about how many plastic bottles were being thrown away each day, ending up in landfills, so they started “REUSE-A-PALOOZA,” a campaign to raise awareness on the issue, limit the use of disposable plastic bottles and increase recycling. They issued PSAs over the morning announcements, visited classrooms to present their project every day, and hung colorful posters around the school. They also created a showcase in their lobby to display their efforts. In one week, students used 400 fewer plastic bottles!
Ohio
- Grade LevelK-2
- Team NameEnviro Pals
- LocationCincinatti, OH
- SchoolWilliam H. Taft Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorLinda Plevyak
- DescriptionTeam Enviro Pals worked to reduce the amount of waste produced at school in the lunchrooms and to improve paper recycling in the classroom. After researching which items during lunch could be recycled, a representative from the local recycling company visited to help them learn about ways to reduce waste. The team collected data on the types of waste being produced at lunch and investigate the potential benefits on investing in reusable plates and silverware. The students created composting bins in the cafeteria with pictures to show students which foods could be composted. After analyzing data, they determined the school could reduce costs up to 25% if they used reusable plates and silverware. The students then shared their cost comparison and recommendation with the school board and hope to switch to reusable plates and silverware.
Pennsylvania
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NameMiss Stewart's 4th Grade
- LocationNorth Pittsburgh, PA
- SchoolThe Environmental Charter School at Frick Park
- Teacher/MentorBecky Craig
- DescriptionA field trip to a local environmental consulting company inspired students to create a green roof at their school to not only help energy efficiency, but have other positive effects on the environment as well. They worked with a consultant from the company and had an existing rooftop garden tray delivered to the school to better understand how the rooftop garden works. They then broke into teams: fundraising, design, logistics, materials and marketing. They worked with the environmental coordinator and principal of their school and did research to figure out the most functional and efficient plants for the garden. The marketing team raised awareness of the project in the school. The team designed the garden, which will soon be installed on the roof.
Pennsylvania
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NameMiss Rosenfeld Plus Moore
- LocationPhiladelphia, PA
- SchoolJ Hampton Moore Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorJaclyn Rosenfeld
- DescriptionAfter learning that Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, students partnered with Re-Cap (Recycling Environmental Caps Awareness Program), a program that ships plastic caps to get recycled into products like snow shovels, pen caps and stadium seats chairs. Staff were encouraged to make the initiative a priority in their classrooms and provided a grade-appropriate recycling lesson plan. Students hung posters around the school and made presentations in classes to educate their peers. The team provided recycling bins to collect caps to every grade band and created a competition between grade bands. After measuring the results, the team was thrilled to find that students were actively recycling their plastic bottle caps and preventing tons of plastic from going into landfills.
Texas
- Grade LevelK-2
- Team NameEco Giraffes
- LocationRichardson, TX
- SchoolDennis Miller Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorMalini Srevatsa
- DescriptionTeam Eco Giraffes was concerned with the harmful effects of PET, PETE and polycarbonate plastic bottles on the environment, both that they end up in landfills and often end up in waterways where they harm wildlife. The students initiated a door-to-door campaign to raise awareness and distribute surveys on the amount of plastic bottles people use. Additionally, the team recruited others for a pond cleanup, to collect not only plastic bottles but all other litter that could harm wildlife. Data sheets were distributed to households during the campaign to monitor plastic bottle use, and they found a significant decrease in plastic bottles used per household. They are working with master naturalists to schedule regular walks at the pond to monitor litter.
Texas
- Grade LevelK-2
- Team NameBrockstars: Think Green Team Goes Paperless!
- LocationMcKinney, TX
- SchoolEarl Slaughter Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorJoli Brock
- DescriptionTo reduce the amount of paper being used at school and save the school and district money, this class decided to initiate a paperless recycling campaign. They started by surveying teachers on their paper use and developing alternatives or more green solutions to accomplish the same tasks. The students then created Glogs, a wikispace, a quiz, and virtual posters educate the school community about the importance of saving paper. A "Think Green Team" was formed to encourage teachers to make their classrooms more paperless. The team collected data from teachers over time to track paper use and saw an overall reduction in paper use of 39%! The administration has even adopted a new policy to limit the amount of paper used per teacher.
Texas
- Grade LevelK-2
- Team NameEcoBears
- LocationMontgomery, TX
- SchoolMontgomery Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorLaurie Owens
- DescriptionThis project addressed the issue of Styrofoam trays in their cafeteria and their harmful effects on the environment. The students researched the issue and contacted someone at a green products company to have biodegradable tray samples sent to them. Students researched the additional requirements of biodegradable trays, such as taking them to a specialized landfill, and conducted an experiment to see how the trays degraded. The school then spent one month using biodegradable trays to see if it might work. The team sent surveys to students and teachers and started making frequent appearances on their morning announcements. From their surveys they found that most students wanted to switch to biodegradable trays and most parents were willing to cover the additional cost. Unfortunately, they found out that there are no specialized landfills in their region to collect the trays, but they are working to make other changes in the cafeteria to help the environment.
Washington
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NameHorace Mann Green Team
- LocationRedmond,WA
- SchoolHorace Mann Elementary School
- Teacher/MentorMarie Hartford
- DescriptionThe Horace Mann Green Team worked to change the habits of their school and community members to prevent air pollution through a no-idling awareness campaign. While last year initiating a no-idling policy at their school through a partnership with their PTA and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, this year they continued to collect data on the number of cars idling to meet their goal of reducing the average number of cars idling by 30% each year. The team worked with their PTSA to launch a “walking school bus campaign,” initiating official walking days and performing a walking skit for their school. They were even featured on the news to show the success of their campaign, which resulted in fewer absences from students. The team visited other schools, which have now joined in the initiative.
Wisconsin
- Grade Level3-5
- Team NameGuns' Green Team
- LocationSparta, WI
- SchoolMeadowview Middle School
- Teacher/MentorLaura Koll
- DescriptionThe Guns’ Green Team worked with their teacher, librarian and Environmental Club to start a paper recycling program at their school. They introduced the rest of the school to the program by presenting information sessions and they built enthusiasm and cooperation by holding several paper recycling contests between classes. They interviewed experts to get a better understanding of the issue and made weekly announcements as well as created posters and flyers to raise awareness. They have planned a spring tree planting with the winning class of their first competition and are looking into recycling other materials.
West Virginia
- Grade LevelK-2
- Team NameBear
- LocationCharleston, WV
- SchoolCapital High School
- Teacher/MentorMelissa Sears
- DescriptionTeam Bear started a recycling campaign at their school to encourage peers to recycle their milk cartons at breakfast and lunch. They distributed letters to teachers to educate their class on the importance of participating in the campaign. In the lunchroom, students hung posters over the recycling bins and placed brochures on the tables. They also monitored the bins to make sure students were recycling. They collected and weighed the amount of recycling and noticed an increase in recycling every day. Their school community is now more aware of the importance of recycling and is changing their behaviors to help protect the environment.
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