/
Service-
Learning
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Mat If
• It is a method of encouraging student learning and
development through active participation in thought-
fully organized service that is conducted in, and
meets the needs of, a community.
• It involves an elementary school, secondary school,
institution of higher education, or community service
program, along with the community.
• It helps foster civic responsibility.
• It is integrated into, and enhances, the academic
curriculum or the educational components of the
community service program in which the partici-
pants are enrolled.
• It provides structured time for students or partici-
pants to reflect on the service experience.
EPA would like to thank the Corporation for National and Community Service for its assistance in
identifying case studies and reviewing this document prior to publication.
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in a* E*\vJKo»\/-»e*\taL
a; a Joliol Wa;te
Experience
; " ervice-learning is more than just a buzzword for community service or
volunteering. By participating in an environmental service-learning
project, you are making a difference in your future and the future of
our planet. Service-learning goes beyond what is learned in the classroom.
It is hands-on experience. Students gain new skills by working directly
with the community. Service-learning enhances students' valuable academ-
ic skills, including communication, team-building, and
critical-thinking; builds their self-esteem; and
develops their sense of responsibility for
decision-making.
The types of service-learning
projects students in grades
K—12 are doing throughout
the country are very
diverse. They range from
starting a recycling or
composting program to
preserving native plants,
to setting aside time
after school to teach
young children to read.
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This booklet contains several service-learn-
ing projects that focus on various aspects
of safe solid waste management, such as
reducing household hazardous waste and
buying recycled-content products. Each
profile includes contacts who can provide
information on how to start a similar
program in your area. Additional
resources, including grants that can help
you start a project, are located in the back
of this booklet.
Whether you are looking for ideas to start a
program in your school or a service project in your neighborhood, the
projects in this booklet will help jump-start your efforts. Service-learning
projects are one of the best ways to make an environmental difference for
you and your community.
EPA Docket/OSWER Team
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (5305T)
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: 800 424-9346
(TDD: 800 553-7672)
Fax: 202 566-0272
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"Real World" Recycling: Winston Middle School —
Winston, Oregon .............................. 2
On the Road Again: La Quinta High School —
La Quinta, California ........................... 3
Students Graduate to Safe Disposal: Montgomery County
High Schools — Montgomery County, Maryland ....... 4
Old Computers Find New Homes: Chippewa Valley
Technology Charter School — Eau Claire, Wisconsin . . .5
Upholding Village Values: Mount Sanford Tribal
Consortium — Chistochina and Mentasta, Alaska ..... 6
7
Working with Worms: Earthworks Junior Master Composter
Program — Grapevine, Texas ..................... 8
Blazing the Trail to Recycling: Seward Trailblazers 4-H
Club — Nobles County, Minnesota ................. 9
From 4-H to "3 Rs": 4H CAPITAL Program-
Austin, Texas ................................ 10
Stewardship in Action: Groundwork Providence, Inc. —
Providence, Rhode Island ...................... 11
From Paper to Flowerpots: Thayer County Cooperative
Extension Agency — Hebron, Nebraska ............ 12
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Kid; a*d fckool; 13
Charged Up About Recycling: Burlington Township High
School—Burlington, New Jersey 14
Mentoring To Make a Difference: Stonington High School—
Pawcatuck, Connecticut 15
Remove, Recycle, Reuse: Oxford Academy-
Oxford, New York 16
Students Become Teachers: Smyrna Primary—
Smyrna, Tennessee 17
Sights and Smells Inspire Action: McKinley Elementary
School—San Leandro, California 18
"Strut" Your Stuff: Eddyville School—
Eddyville, Oregon .,.,,. .19
Thinking Globally, Working Locally: Beverly Hills High
School—Beverly Hills, California 20
ce; 11
Idea; .14
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Kick
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"Real World" Recycli*y.
Middle
Contact;
103k
Tern
ounty Warte
ion a«o| RecycLi*1-)
fart Poplar Ave«»/e,
Roof 110
^KCj, OR W70
: 541 440-4350
Winston, Oregon
At a time when few homes and
businesses were recycling in
Winston, Oregon, the eighth-
grade class at Winston Middle School
helped make a lasting impact on local
businesses' waste management efforts.
Students made numerous recycling pre-
sentations to the school board and city
council to encourage the community to
expand its efforts to reduce waste. In
addition, they performed 20 waste audits
in two years for interested companies, examining trash, weighing recyclable
materials, and noting potential waste reduction opportunities. The students
then presented their findings—which included waste loss assessments as well as
current and potential costs and savings—to the companies.
The project culminated in a town Earth Day event, complete with booths
designed and staffed by students, teachers, and local government entities.
Through the project, students formed community connections and taught
solid waste concepts, while business owners and employees offered insights on
environmental concerns in the corporate world. "Many of the students who
excelled in performing waste audits were not strong academic students," said
Terri Peterson, project coordinator. "This project allowed students to recognize
their individual talents outside the classroom, in a real-world atmosphere."
Winston Middle School is no longer involved in the waste audit project, but its
success inspired Peterson to continue doing waste audits with other area
schools. She has already helped approximately 50 schools of all age levels con-
duct internal waste audits to improve their own recycling programs. Now, a
local high school performs waste audits for area businesses, including a hospi-
tal, pizza parlor, food bank, and nonprofit and commercial offices. The stu-
dents plan to use the data they collect to encourage all downtown businesses to
implement recycling programs.
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0* tke Road
La
kkool
La Quinta, California
In Biller
La Qv/iwta Hi'jk k
TU55 Werkoawl Ho
La GH-vta, CA,
Pko«e-. 7fcO 771-4150
tudents in the La Quinta High School environmental club work with com-
munity businesses and tribal organizations to collect and recycle tires aban-
doned in a nearby desert. The recycling drive has taken place during a
weekend each year for the past two years.
Contact:
Since the adoption of a state-wide law ban-
ning tires from disposal in landfills, more
people have illegally dumped tires in desert
areas in California. To help alleviate this
problem, the La Quinta environmental
club organizes a trip to remove and recycle
tires from a section of desert near Joshua
Tree National Park.
The students are first notified by U.S.
Bureau of Land Management rangers
which areas of the desert have the most concentrated dumping sites. The
students pass the information to Waste Management of the Desert—a local
private hauler—who places empty containers in the identified areas. Wearing
protective gloves and safety vests, the students return to the site to collect tires
and place them in the containers. The hauler, who also provides lunches for the
students on the collection day, takes the filled containers to First Nation
Recovery Incorporated, a tire recycling facility operated by the Cabazon Tribe.
"The students recycled eight tons of tkes in the first year," said Liz Biller, a sci-
ence teacher at La Quinta who founded the environmental club. "Some of the
tires were shredded and used to resurface area roads."
The tire recycling project
shows students firsthand what
happens to trash when it is not
properly disposed of. It also
allows them to work with local
businesses and state and tribal
organizations to make a differ-
ence in their community.
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Graduate to tefe
CoPaffeK Valw
studies. By assisting with the
county's household hazardous 1G101 Fre<^'ck
waste'collection program, students Per-cod, M/>
learn about solid waste issues and Phone: 301 840-1852.
earn credits toward graduation. E-^aiU voU*tew©/->ci''ecyclef.oKCj
Montgomery County's Master
Recycler/Composter Volunteer Program works with adult and student volun-
teers to operate collection events for recyclable materials that are not regularly
accepted at the county transfer station. On household hazardous waste collec-
tion days, unused paint, leftover household chemicals, and other materials that
cannot be disposed of safely in the trash are collected at the transfer station and
other satellite locations. Events take place between March and December once
or twice a month. Volunteers provide necessary logistical support to make these
collections possible, reduce the cost of frequent collection, and allow for safe
disposal of these materials.
Following a state mandate that students perform a set number of service hours
to qualify for graduation, large numbers of high school students began volun-
teering at collection events. Now more than 20 percent of the volunteers par-
ticipating in the collections are students. Typically, six to eight student volun-
teers work with adults to direct 250 to 665 cars per event. As part of their
graduation requirement, the students write a paper to reflect on what
they learned.
Alter observing how much household hazardous waste is collected for disposal
in a single day, students began to understand the need for source reduction,
such as buying only the amount they will use or selecting a less toxic alterna-
tive. In addition, the county used the household hazardous waste collection
program as a model to begin a computer recycling collection program with stu-
dent volunteers. Thanks to student efforts, the computer recycling pilot was so
successful that computers are now regularly accepted at the transfer station.
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Old
CKippe^a Valley
Charter
Contact:
Eel Jeffert, 0ar>ow
ua Valley Technical
1700 Mercery Ave«>/e
Ea^ Claire, ivl 54703
Pko«e-. 715 831-G117,
715 831-1500
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
To help reduce the amount of hazardous
waste unknowingly disposed of when
throwing out obsolete electronics, stu-
dents in a computer construction and net-
work design class at Chippewa Valley
Technology Charter School in Eau Claire,
Wisconsin, participate in a service-learning
program called Computers Refurbished in
Schools (CRIS). The Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources runs the CRIS project
in conjunction with Chippewa Valley Tech,
which serves nearby North and Memorial
high schools. The project's goal is to keep obsolete computers out of landfills
while providing students with educational, real-life work experience.
North and Memorial students have been involved in refurbishing and recycling
computers since 1998, and Chippewa Valley Tech won a state grant to partici-
pate in CRIS in 2000. In the classroom, students learn computer basics, includ-
ing how to diagnose and solve computer problems and install and upgrade oper-
ating systems. They use this knowledge to refurbish or recycle computers donat-
ed by local businesses. The school then donates refurbished computers to the
United Way, which sells them to needy families and
non-profit businesses in the Eau Claire area. "Since get-
ting involved in CRIS, we've refurbished approximately
100 computers per year," said Ed Jeffers, a computer
construction and design teacher at North. Computers
that can't be fixed are disassembled so that usable parts-
can be salvaged and die rest can be recycled.
Several students who have participated in the program have earned apprentice-
ships with local businesses and advanced standing credits with a local technical
college. Although the state grant has expired, the program continues to receive
local support, and Chippewa Valley Tech plans to continue refurbishing and
recycling computers as long as they keep receiving donated computers.
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Upkoldi*cj Village
Tribal
Chistochina and Mentasta, Alaska
Through the Mount Sanford Tribal
Consortium's Whouy Sze Kiunalth
("Teaching Our Many
Grandchildren") service-learning pro-
gram, 70 students in grades K—12 in the
villages of Chistochina and Mentasta,
Alaska, learned from their Elders and
others why caring for the land is
important.
Tribal C
P.O. Box 357
Mile 33 Tok Cutoff"
6ako«a, AK W8G
ko«e-. 107 835-5510
E-Ma/U
One aspect of the program aims to teach
students and the community how to store and eliminate trash and household
hazardous waste in a safe manner. To this end, Elders participated in culture
camp programs for kids and told stories about their ancestors' way of respect-
ing the land. In the fall, students and village members participated in village
clean-up days. And students participated in periodic hazardous waste treasure
hunts—collecting batteries, oil bottles, fuel cans, and other items that had been
discarded at their original Village sight, and then disposing of them properly or
recycling them.
Lessons from the program reverberated from the chil-
dren to the larger community, and the villages also
began to take action. Both Chistochina and Mentasta
began building structures to support recycling pro-
grams. Villagers are more careful to avoid littering. In
addition, with input from the Elders and others, the
community developed the first culturally relevant
environmental curriculum, which is now being used
by both school districts and is helping to inspire neighboring communities to
begin similar service-learning programs.
"Everyone's attitude has changed over these few years," says Project Director
Joan Herrmann. "People are making permanent changes to some old habits.
Kids are growing up learning how to be more responsible for their environ-
ment—they are learning to see the connections between the toxic waste they
toss on the ground and the river they take their fish from."
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U/oK/*f:
Larry
ine Parkf a«ol Reo-eatio*
P.O. Box 15104
TX 7fcoH
817 410-33GG
Grapevine, Texas
^tudents in the Earthworks Junior
Master Composter Program in
Grapevine, Texas, don't mind getting
their hands dirty. In fact, they've taken it
upon themselves to spread the word in
Grapevine and throughout the South
that composting and organic recycling
can help reduce waste.
According to a Texas Governor's Report, up to 70 percent of the state's waste
stream is organic. Inspired by that fact, the Junior Master Composter Program
decided to increase children's awareness of the positive role they can play in
waste reduction at home and at school through composting. They are also
learning how worms can help them compost organic materials through a
process known as "vermicomposting."
Through the program, fifth and sixth graders learn about composting and ver-
micomposting in a four-hour course that teaches them how to turn leaves,
grass, and food scraps into "black gold," or compost. The course teaches them
the history of garbage and landfills, the definition of organic material, and the
principles of composting. Participating schools receive a compost bin,
j|^fe thermometer, manual, resource books, and worm bin. After
attending the class, each student spends an additional four
hours teaching parents and neighbors to compost yard trimmings
or working with other students at school composting demon-
stration sites. To receive their Junior Master Composter
certificate, students must commit to teaching at least
two others about the fundamentals of composting.
Over the past six years, the Earthworks
Junior Master Composter Program, funded
by 10 grants, has reached 20,000 students at
250 schools, zoos, and nature centers across
the South. The program has also trained
an additional 200 classroom instructors.
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the Trail to
4-H CUb
Nobles County, Minnesota
1 ost residents of Seward Township in southwestern Minnesota had never
considered recycling because the closest recycling center was 25 miles
away. Instead, they used to burn or bury all of their refuse. Thanks to
the work of a local 4-H Club, however (an organization dedicated to commu-
nity service and education), recycling in this rural part of Minnesota is now a
way of life.
Contact:
k/ay«e
Noble;
Director
P.O. Box 757
jt«m, MN 5£,1?7
«e: 507 371-8117
It all started in response to a severe drought,
which led to a ban on burning. The approxi-
mately 60 members (ages 7 to 19) of the
Seward Trailblazers 4-H Club had just com-
pleted a lesson on recycling taught by Wayne
Smith, the Environmental Director for
Nobles County. The group decided the ban
was a perfect opportunity to use what they
had learned to educate their community
about recycling.
The Trailblazers started an annual education campaign including mailings and
door-to-door visits to each resident of Seward Township. They also informed
residents about the six new 96-gallon containers set up by the Trailblazers out-
side the township hall to serve as a convenient recycling drop-off site. Residents
could use the containers, supplied by Nobles County Environmental Services
(NCES) to drop off plastic, paper, glass, and corrugated cardboard. NCES
would then pick up the recyclables and take them to the Nobles County
Recycling Center, located in Worthington, Minnesota. Two additional 55-gal-
lon containers were set up to collect aluminum cans. The Trailblazers planned
to use the deposits from these cans to support their activities.
Although the ban was only in place for about 30 days, Seward Township resi-
dents started recycling and now recycle about 340 pounds every 10 days. To
keep up with the amount of recyclables collected, the Trailblazers added two
more containers and built a new recycling drop-off building with money from
the aluminum can deposits. They also plan to offer residents 15-gallon recy-
cling containers for a small fee. The project has been so successful that neigh-
boring townships have expressed an interest in starting similar programs.
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4-H to 3 Rr: 4-H CAPITAL
Contact-.
A«;ti«, TX 78711
o«e: 511 47
Austin, Texas
^°eventh- and eighth-grade students in
a 4-H after-school program in
Austin, Texas, are learning about
waste issues using the "three Rs"—
reduce, reuse, and recycle—and are
spreading the message to their
community.
After studying the "three Rs" in school,
students at Martin Junior High worked
with teachers to redesign their 4-H cur-
riculum to incorporate lessons on reducing, reusing, and recycling. The stu-
dents promoted their new curriculum to other Texas 4-H groups and then
decided to spread the message to the community, setting up a composting dis-
play at a local environmental education center and producing a 10-minute
educational video. The Travis County Master
Composters organization has included the video as
part of its resource library for adults who work with
youth, and the composting display is visited by
)V*'IU'4» \ more than 3,000 students and teachers each year. In
]a«j "aBBLtl | a project funded by a National 4-H Council grant,
the students also developed a Web page with hints
and tips on waste issues to promote the "three Rs"
worldwide.
The students also use community events such as Austin's Science Fun Day as
an opportunity to teach others about environmental issues. They recently
taught more than 200 younger students about the importance of "beneficial
bugs" in breaking down waste materials through composting.
This successful youth-led collaboration teaches the importance of understand-
ing the waste cycle, and participants develop a sense of pride and achievement
while learning the importance of protecting the environment. The partnership
between Martin and 4-H has been recognized by Austin Corporate Recycling
Council's 2000 Environmental Vision as the "Best of the Best," and by Texas
Corporate Recycling Council's 2000 awards for schools and universities.
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Acti
on
Providence, Rhode Island
H
igh school students in Providence, Rhode Island, are learning to be stew-
ards of their community by teaching their neighbors about local environ-
mental issues and being role models for younger children.
Led by educators from the nonprofit organization Groundwork Providence, a
local affiliate of Groundwork USA, a national community and environmental
group, students participate in a program known as the Education Team (E-
Team). Each year, this team—comprised of
Providence students between the ages of 14
and 18—is involved with developing, organ-
izing, and implementing an environmental
after-school club and a summer environmen-
tal education camp for kids in grades K—6.
Students also serve as mentors for elementary
school children.
Contact:
felly
jtow f/reet
ce, Rl 01103
Pkj*e-. 401 3S1-G440
: fally t"^
E-Team members attend regular training
workshops and participate in field trips to
learn about a variety of environmental issues
affecting their local community. For example, to learn about proper solid waste
management, students covered the issues of brownfields, trash containment,
recycling, and household hazardous waste. After the training, E-Team members
share their newly acquired knowledge with the club and camp participants by
leading service projects, such as cleaning up vacant lots, stenciling storm drains,
and educating community members about recycling and proper trash contain-
ment by providing brochures, sample recycling bins, and trash cans with lids.
Together the E-Team members and the club and camp participants produce a
newsletter as a record of their achievements and a community outreach tool.
Most recently, E-Team members partnered with Providence's Neighborhood
Task Force on Recycling and created new educational lessons and projects for
the club and camp children they serve. The projects are designed to broaden
the reach of earlier neighborhood recycling campaigns by using grassroots edu-
cation and outreach to promote awareness about the importance of recycling.
This project also aims to increase recycling rates throughout the city of
Providence.
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Paper to flowerpot*:
Tkayer Co*mty
Exte*;io» Agency
Contact:
Cry (til F
Tkayer Cow*ty Cooperative
Fourth Street
401
Hebron, Nebraska
As part of a school enrichment program
promoting volunteerism, first-
through sixth-grade students in
Nebraska learned how to use recycled-con-
tent paper to make flowerpots, which they
gave to "adopted grandparents" at area elder
care communities.
Crystal Fangmeier of the Thayer County
Cooperative Extension Agency developed the
program to show children that "just because
you throw something away, that doesn't mean it's gone." More than 100 stu-
dents from six classrooms at public, private, and parochial schools in a three-
county area participated. First, they learned about the concepts of recycling and
reuse. Then, with shredded paper from a local hospital, they created paper
pulp. Using little cups as molds, they shaped the paper pulp into starter pots,
let them dry for a week, and planted flowers for their adopted grandparents.
The students were encouraged to tell the recipients how
they made the pots and to talk about recycling with
them.
This ongoing project enabled the students to not
only reduce the amount of paper thrown away
each year, but also to form a connec-
tion with the elderly. After the pro-
gram, students told Ms.
Fangmeier that they con-
tinued to reduce paper
waste by coloring their
own wrapping paper, using less
paper, and recycling the paper
they used.
I.
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Kid;
-------
Up Abo
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Me»torinq To Make a
% '^ •
Pawcatuck, Connecticut
A
fter successfully starting their own recycling program, Stonington High
School students in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, became mentors to help
other schools around them.
Students began by forming an after-school recycling committee to help
improve the existing recycling program in their own school. The committee
took charge of recycling white paper and expanded the program to include
cans, plastic bottles, colored paper, and light bulbs. The committee also per-
suaded school officials to start buying recycled paper. The improved recycling
program won a state award, inspiring the students to use their program as a
model for other schools.
Contact:
Bill Gan-aty
M(o
CT OW1
5^-5781
To help other schools improve their recycling
programs, students began a mentoring pro-
gram, which involved making videos of their
activities and conducting presentations about
recycling and its benefits. Students filmed the
tours they took of a recycling plant and a
waste-to-energy plant and prepared a video
series on special topics such as product life
cycles. The students used the videos to devel-
op a presentation about their recycling pro-
gram, which they shared at school functions
at district elementary and middle schools, at
a meeting of state school superintendents,
and with community officials to help raise recycling awareness.
The program helped students become involved in recycling and also helped
spread the message to younger students and to the community. "We are cutting
a path in education at the high school level that middle and elementary stu-
dents can walk along," said Bill Garraty, a teacher at Stonington High. Now in
its third year, the recycling committee has evolved into a broad environmental
group that covers a wide variety of issues, including nuclear power, fisheries,
and reforestation.
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, Recycle,
Contact;
Tke PLace
P.O. Box 50^
Norwich, NY
Oxford, New York
Each year since 1999, the entire
fourth grade (approximately 90 stu-
dents) at Oxford Academy has taken
part in a year-long service-learning pro-
gram that is fully integrated into the
New York State school curriculum.
The program starts with a visit by a rep-
resentative from the North Norwich
Waste Management Facility (NNWMF) who talks to the students about waste,
the importance of recycling, and the types of recyclables to look for in various
parts of the community. Students then spend part of one day in the communi-
ty removing trash from playgrounds, near the river, public benches, school
grounds, and in front of business establishments.
Students take the materials they collect to NNWMF where the same represen-
tative teaches the fourth graders about how materials are recycled and gives
them an opportunity to be a part of the recycling process. Students weigh the
materials they collected and separate them into recyclable and non-recyclable
items. Last year students removed 116 pounds of garbage from the community.
Back in the classroom, lesson plans continue to inte-
grate the recycling theme. Students graph the amount
and type of garbage collected by geographic region.
In science class, students learn about different types of
garbage, including biodegradable products, and then
brainstorm different uses of biodegradable materials.
They read poetry about the environment and then
write poems of their own on recycled paper they creat-
ed. "Students benefit by not only gaining a local under-
standing of their environment, but by creating a
respect for their community," said fourth
grade teacher Glenn Van Houten.
This year, students also decided to create
art from the materials they collected and
display the projects throughout the school.
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Primary
Smyrna, Tennessee
f
ourth graders in Smyrna, Tennessee, work with other children and their
parents to increase awareness of recycling and promote participation in the
school's recycling program.
Contact*
Carla
Pko»et 615 451-3161
Smyrna's current recycling program was inspired by a one-year pilot project in
which fourth graders taught preschoolers about recycling, set up recycling bins
in the preschool classroom, and helped the younger children collect, sort, and
count materials. The older students planned lessons on recycling, designed a
booklet on how to get Others involved in recycling, and taught the preschool
students how to make toys and games from recy-
clable materials. "The preschool children
became so involved in the recycling project
that their class often won the recycling
awareness award at our academic celebra-
tions," said Carla Sartin, a special education
, c D - P.O. Box 305
teacher at Smyrna Primary.
fr^y^a, TM
Following the success of this project, the
fourth-grade students started the school's
existing recycling program, setting up more
bins around the school and counting the total number of recyclables brought
in every six weeks. To encourage other students to recycle, the fourth graders
award prizes to the grade level that brings in the most recyclables, the top recy-
cler in each class, and the top recycler school wide. By the end of the 2000-
2001 school year, Smyrna students had recycled more than 65,000 pieces of
trash, and the numbers are expected to rise in following school years. The
fourth graders also took part in a special community recycling project in
2001—a telephone book collection project sponsored by a local recycling
organization.
Through this ongoing program, students use math and communication skills
to tabulate recyclables and promote recycling, while learning a sense of respon-
sibility for the environment. In addition, students become teachers in their
own homes, working closely with their parents to share and apply their new
knowledge.
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Acti
Contact:
KaHa Ball
Eler*e*t
1150 Eart 14tk
£a« Lea«cK, C
Plio«e: 510
on:
San Leandro, California
^tudents at McKinley Elementary
School in San Leandro, California,
J became waste reduction detectives
after visiting their county's largest trans-
fer station. By discovering the sights and
smells of the large garbage pit, third-
grade students decided to investigate
waste reduction options in their school.
A team of second, third, and fourth
grade teachers encouraged their students
to collaborate on a waste reduction strategy for the school. Armed with clip-
boards, the students explored the school campus to learn where waste was gen-
erated. They recorded their findings and created charts of the amounts and
types of waste produced in classrooms, lunchrooms, and other areas around the
school. Back in their own classroom,
students and teachers discussed the
data, then brainstormed solutions and
developed suggestions for implement-
ing campus-wide change to their
school's waste management practices.
To encourage awareness and greater
recycling among their peers, the stu-
dents informed their fellow students
what materials could be recycled and
then placed a paper recycling bin in
every classroom. In the months following, teams of students conducted surprise
classroom waste audits twice a week to monitor progress toward increasing
recycling in their school. Classes with no recyclables in the garbage were
rewarded with prizes and an announcement over the public address system.
This public recognition inspired other classes to participate and recycle more.
"This was an extremely exciting project for the students," said Karla Ball, a
teacher involved with the project. "Not all classes were recycling at 100 per-
cent. We saw an increase in classroom recycling over the school year and gained
a better understanding of how change is created one classroom at a time."
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Eddyville, Oregon
A small, rural K—12 school in Eddyville,
Oregon, really knows how to strut its stuff.
The "Strut," or "Students Recycling Used
Technology," Program, initiated in 1998 at Eddyville School, promotes recy-
cling of old computer hardware into renewed, refurbished components for use
in classrooms, school computer labs, and students' homes. Strut provides
opportunities for high school students to learn about equipment and technolo-
gy through a hands-on approach, while helping rescue "technological trash"
from landfills and installing it in educational settings where it can enhance
instruction.
Contact:
Robert
P.O. Box G8
OR 17343
541 87S-1G41
"Strut is the auto shop of the new millenni-
um," says Don McDonald, principal of
Eddyville School. "It allows students to work
with their hands rather than paper and pen-
cil, and it gives them the technological
awareness and skills they need to enter into
today's world." Using an inquiry-based
approach, teacher Robert Pearson encourages
students' problem-solving skills and sense of
responsibility.
Small and large businesses, community members, and public agencies
donate used or outdated computers and technical equipment to Strut.
Students tear down the equipment and upgrade components, reassem-
ble units, and then distribute the equipment based on student and dis-
trict needs. Over the last three years, more than 300 computers have
been "recycled" and made available for student use. Students also pro-
vide follow-up services related to the computers they have reclaimed.
Student technicians install, service,
and troubleshoot the computer
hardware to ensure problem-free
and efficient use.
• i i « re • » • n l r r ti i i i
tf • |i ' I 1
,(< J( j tt
Judging by students' reactions, the program is a tremendous success. "This is
the only class I look forward to during the day," said one student. "I finally
found 'Nerd-vana'," another reported.
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Globally,
Locally: BeveKy Hill; Higk
Beverly Hills, California
Contact;
Vtley
Beverly HilU
BeveKy HilU, CA 10111
>*e-. 310 551-5100
Hailing from Iran, Korea, Russia,
Israel, and other international loca-
tions, Beverly Hills High School
students worked together to bring recy-
cling to their community.
After learning how materials such as
paper and plastics are made and what
happens to those materials once they are
discarded, the sophomores, juniors, and
seniors in Sarah Utley's Life Science class
designed a project to establish a recycling
program at their school. Ms. Utley used curriculum materials from a recent
service-learning workshop organized by Generation Earth, an environmental
education program of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, to
guide the students in creating a successful program.
Students broke into small workgroups to help make their case for a school-
wide recycling program. One group performed a waste audit to document the
need for recycling. Another group talked with the city manager and local waste
disposal facilities about the feasibility of starting recycling at the school, includ-
ing the cost of hauling the recyclable materials and the revenue from the bottle
and can deposit refunds. Other groups interviewed students and teachers to
gauge awareness of waste disposal problems, concern for waste reduction issues,
and opinions on a school recycling program. The responses—incorporated into
a video presentation—mostly favored the students' efforts.
The project culminated in an oral and video presen-
tation to the school principal. The principal gave his
approval, and the students are now working with
the student council on implementation.
According to Ms. Utley, these first and second
generation American students gained great
pride and self-confidence by creating and com-
pleting the project themselves and making a dif-
ference in their community.
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for more information about service-learning programs,
grants, and ideas, contact your state's community serv-
ice commission or education department. The follow-
ing national organizations also are involved in coordinating
or funding service-learning projects.
Corporation far National and Cof/w'imity fervice
1201 New York Avenue, NW.
Washington, DC 20525
Phone: 202 606-5000
Phone: TDD 202 565-2799
Web site: www.nationalservice.org
The Corporation for National Service was chartered by Congress in 1993 to pro-
vide a broad range of opportunities to Americans of all ages and backgrounds to
serve their communities and the nation. One of its grant programs, Learn and
Serve America, supports service-learning programs in schools, colleges, and com-
munity organizations that engage nearly one million youth in the areas of educa-
tion, public safety, the environment, and other human needs.
Learn and 5erve America/National tervice-Uarning CLearin
ETR Associates
P.O. Box1830
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
Phone: 866 245-SERV (7378)
Fax: 831 430-9471
Web site: www.servicelearning.org
This informational Web site, funded by the Corporation for National Service, is
designed to support Learn and Serve America grantees, as well as other programs
engaged in service-learning. The site includes information about service-learning
resources, a listserv, and other helpful tools.
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National 4-H
7100 Connecticut Avenue
Chevy Chase, MD20815
Phone: 301 961-2800
E-mail: info@fourhcouncil.edu
Web site: www.fourhcouncil.edu
The 4-H Environmental Stewardship Program offers grants, curricula, and other
resource and reference materials to help youth address local environmental issues.
The program works to bring young people, their families, and communities togeth-
er in environmental projects. Youth are encouraged to become catalysts for action
and generators of knowledge.
kot/tr of tke W.A.
National Headquarters
420 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018-2798
Phone: 800 GSUSA4U (478-7248) or 212 852-8000
Web site: www.girlscouts.org
Girl Scouts from age 5 to 17 and their leaders are involved in environmental activi-
ties in their communities. All Girl Scouts can earn recognition for activities such as
learning about landfills, recycling, participating in community cleanups, making
recycled paper, or promoting clean water and conservation.
Boy fcowff of America
National Council
Boy Scouts of America
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, TX 7501 5-2079
Web site: www.bsa.scouting.org
Traditionally involved in many outdoor activities, Boy Scouts strive to become citi-
zens that treat their environment responsibly. Through a conservation program,
scouts learn about the use of natural resources, collaborate on community projects
with local, state, or federal environmental organizations, and receive awards for
projects that inform the public about the importance of environmental protection.
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Boyr & 6irU CUbr of America
National Headquarters
1230 West Peachtree Street, NW.
Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: 404815-5700
Web site: www.bgca.org
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America help youth from all backgrounds — especially
disadvantaged children — develop the qualities they need to become responsible citi-
zens and leaders. Various programs promote community service projects, environ-
mental awareness, and other related initiatives.
Take A CLatt Ovfcloorr: A 6«/ieiebook far Environmental fee-vice
National Dropout Prevention Center
Clemson University
209 Martin Street
Clemson, SC 29634-0726
Phone: 864 656-2599
Fax: 864656-0136
E-mail: ndpc@clemson.edu
Web site: www.dropoutprevention.org
Designed to inform educators and administrators about environmental service-
learning and its positive effect on students, this guide includes sections on starting
a program, adapting curricula, obtaining funding, and involving the community.
Published in 1998, the book contains detailed project ideas for various age groups
and offers success stories from other service-learning programs.
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Hopefully, our service-learning guide has provided you with some ideas for
your own school-based or community service-learning project. Here are a few
more great project ideas:
Collection Dayf — start a volunteer program that
picks up recyclables or coordinates household hazardous collection days in
apartment complexes or other multifamily residential areas.
Vekldsf fa? fewloff — provide seniors with transportation to do their
recycling or establish a weekly pick-up system within senior citizen commu-
nities.
Cafeteria Recycliw^/5orti*>g Bay* — help your school become more
environmentally sound by starting a cafeteria recycling/sorting program for
packaging or food waste.
UfCel Clothing oK FvK«it
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\JS.
To protect human health and the environment
EPA Office of foliel toafte
To ensure responsible management of hazardous and
nonhazardous waste
EPA Office of foliel toafte 6oaL;-.
• To conserve resources by preventing waste
• To reduce the waste that cannot be
prevented
• To ensure that all waste is properly disposed of
One key initiative that OSW has taken to achieve
these goals is to continue its education and outreach
efforts through environmental service-learning.
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