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The goals of this publication are to:
• Encourage environmental service
in solid and hazardous waste areas.
• UnV these experiences to positive
behavioral changes, such as waste
prevention and recycling.
• Demonstrate how the skills that
students acquire can be a stepping
stone to an environmental career.
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MaV'mg a Difference:
Setvice-teatn'mg as a Solid Waste
Education Experience
very day we make choices that not only affect our indi-
vidual lives, but often impact our natural environment
as well. By choosing to participate in an environmental
service-learning project, you can make a difference-
both in your own future and the future of our planet.
Service-learning is more than just a buzzword used to describe
community service and volunteerism efforts. Students get
involved in helping others, with an emphasis on the learning that
occurs. It's an educational experience that combines academic
knowledge with service and personal reflection.
Although the idea of service-learning is relatively new, the
types of projects students are doing throughout the United
States are quite diverse. Some schools require students to com-
plete a certain number of service hours after school, while others
incorporate service-learning into their classroom activities. Some
students even undertake their
own individual service
projects through com-
munity groups,
clubs, and other The U.S. Environmental Protection
organizations. Agency's (EPA's) mission is to protect human
health and the natural environment. The mission
of EPA's Office of Solid Waste is to ensure
responsible management of hazardous and
nonhazardous waste. Our goals are:
• To conserve resources by preventing waste.
• To reduce the waste that can't be prevented.
• To ensure that all waste is properly
disposed of.
One key initiative that EPA's Office of Solid
Waste has taken to achieve these goals is to
further our education and outreach efforts
through environmental service-learning.
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Through a
variety of
service-learning
projects, kinder-
garten through
12th-grade students
throughout the country are realiz-
ing that one of the most powerful
ways to learn about waste reduction,
recycling, and composting is through
hands-on experience.
This booklet contains profiles of service-
learning projects that focus on various
aspects of safe solid waste management, such
as reducing household hazardous waste and
buying recycled-content products. The pro-
files are organized by grade level into two
categories: school-based and community
programs. Each profile includes contacts
that can provide information on how to start a similar program
in your area. Additional resources, including grants that can help
to get a project started, are listed in the resource section, located
in the back of the booklet.
Whether you're starting a program in your school or looking
for a service project to join in your local area, these are a few
ideas to get you started. Through hands-on service-learning expe-
riences, you can have a lasting effect on the world around you.
What you learn by making a difference in your school, communi-
ty, and the environment might be the education of a lifetime.
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School
Buying for the Future: Recycled-Content
Products—Smyser Elementary School 2
Cultural Quilt Recovers the Past—
Taos Elementary School 3
Recycling—Read All About It!—
Hopkins Primary School 4
Students Become Teachers—Smyrna Primary 5
Students Make a Litter Difference—
Westhill Elementary School 6
Middle School
Waste Inventions: Students Build Landfill
Solutions—Calvert Middle School 7
'Real World' Recycling— Winston Middle School....8
High School
Future Homemakers Make a Difference
—Rutledge High School 9
Lights, Camera,... Recycling!—Bishop O'Dowd
and Castro Valley High Schools 10
'Environmental Warriors' Encourage
Recycling— Waterford High School. 11
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Buy'mg for the Future:
Recycled-Cotitetit Products
Smyser Elementary School—Chicago, Illinois
Contact:
Sherry Weinberg
STmyser Elementary School
4310 North Melvina
Chicago, R 60634
Phone: in 534-3J1C
Fax: in 534-3555
fter visiting an envi-
ronmental aware-
' ness center
where they learned about recycled-content
products, fifth- and eighth-grade students
at Smyser Elementary School in Chicago
became concerned about the demand for
recovered materials. To make an impact in
their community, they organized a 1-year
program to convince people to buy recycled-
content products.
The students divided into groups and developed individual projects.
One group performed quality comparison tests on recycled-content and
nonrecycled-content products, such as napkins, paper towels, and tissues.
Another group of students designed flyers that detailed why people
should buy recycled-content products and distributed them door-to-door
in the community. Parent volunteers helped another group of students
survey shoppers at a local grocery store about their habits and attitudes
regarding recycled-content products. Another group contacted local gro-
cery stores, suggesting strategies to increase the visibility of their recycled-
content products, such as clearly labeling products and consolidating
recycled-content products under a special sign. They also wrote to manu-
facturers of recycled-content products, suggesting they offer product
coupons to their customers. During a local environmental festival, both
classes presented their project findings along with useful items they made
from waste, including vases made from cereal boxes, picture frames made
from scrap cloth, and robots made with soda cans.
Through participation in the project, students gained a better under-
standing of how change is created through government, private compa-
nies, and the community. "The program made an impact on the
community, making them more aware of how and why they should pur-
chase recycled products," said Sherry Weinberg, Smyser Elementary
School teacher.
-------
0
Cultural Quilt Recovers the Past
Taos Elementary School—Taos, New Mexico
Contact:
Kathleen Woodall
Taos Elementary School
310 Carmine de la Tlacita
Taos, NM 8J5J1
Phone: 505 J5H841
Fax: 505 J58-5298
rhird-grade students in Taos, New Mexico,
learned the importance of the "three
R's"—reduce, reuse, recycle—through a
variety of one-time service-learning projects.
To begin, the students surveyed and analyzed how
much trash they generate at home over a 2-week
period—counting the number of things they
threw away and learning what could and could
not be recycled. As a next step, they took a
series field trips to the county landfill and the
town's recycling center to learn what happens
to recyclables and other waste once it leaves
the curb. The students also worked with Earth
Mothers of Invention (EMI), a local textile recy-
cling company that produces quilts, shopping bags,
and other products
from recovered fabrics. Through a
workshop, EMI taught them how
to make products from discarded
textiles. The students then made
their own "story cloths"—special
quilts that illustrate the stories
and traditions of other cultures
through different shapes, colors,
and textile designs.
Along the way, the students
put their math, language arts,
and science skills to the test.
To demonstrate what they
learned, they wrote letters to
the town's public officials or
helped start a recycling pro-
gram at the school.
-------
Recycling—Read All About It!
Hopkins Primary School—Somerset, Kentucky
»o promote their school's
recycling program,
students with func-
tional mental disabilities (FMD) in kinder-
garten through third grade developed and
published a monthly newsletter for Hopkins
Primary School in Somerset, Kentucky.
Contact:
Wanda Owens
HopWns Pwmaty School
210 Hay Street
Somerset, KY 42503
Phone: 606 6J8-3062
The students used computers—including a
touch screen for those unable to use a mouse—to
design letterhead, input articles, and format text for their publication.
The newsletter detailed recycling drives and explained the need
to recycle in the community and in school. Students also
calculated printing needs for the newsletter and
distributed it to the community, posted
signs advertising their recycling pro-
gram, and assisted in organizing the
recycling collection and pickup. At
the end of the project, students
toured a local parachute recycling cen-
ter staffed by mentally and physically
handicapped employees. "The recycling
project was fun—everything is cleaner when
you recycle," said one student participant. "I
would like to visit the recycling center again,
and work there one day."
This 1 -year program initiated relationships
between the special education students and students
from other classes in the school. "The program proved
very educational for the special education students," said
Wanda Owens, FMD teacher. "They achieved valuable communication,
math, and computer skills and learned about conservation and environ-
mental responsibility."
-------
Students Become Teachers
Smyrna Primary School—Smyrna, Tennessee
ourth-graders in
Smyrna,
IF Tennessee,
worked with preschool children and their par-
ents to increase awareness of recycling and
participation in the school's existing program.
Contact:
Carta Sar tin
Smyrna PtiTmaty School
P.O. Box 305
Smyrna, TN 3J16J
Phone: 615 459-3161
Fax: 615 355-5609
To familiarize preschoolers with the program,
students set up recycling bins in the preschool class-
room and encouraged the children to bring in recy-
clables. They helped the younger children collect, sort, and count the
materials and taught them to clean their bottles and cans before bringing
them into the school. The fourth-graders planned a lesson on the
importance of recycling and how to recycle, which they presented to the
preschoolers' families, and designed a booklet on how to get others
involved in recycling. The older students also taught the preschoolers
how to make toys and games from recyclables. "The preschool children
became so involved in the recycling program that their class often won
the recycling awareness award at our academic celebrations," said Carla
Sartin, a special education teacher at Smyrna Primary.
Through this 1-year project, families became aware of the need to
recycle and the preschool chil-
dren developed color identifica-
tion and counting skills. In
addition, students became teach-
ers in their homes, working
closely with their parents to share
and apply their new knowledge.
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Students Mate a Litter Difference
Westhill Elementary School—Bessemer, Alabama
;aced with litter and
recycling challenges, as
well as a need for more
students to be involved in community projects,
fifth-grade students and teachers from Westhill
Elementary School in Bessemer, Alabama, cre-
ated the Bessemer Recycling Program.
Contact:
Bonnie Palmer
Westhill Elementary School
110 Glenn Head
Bessemer, Al. 35023
Phone: 205 481-9860
Fax: 205 481-9891
The multiyear program was designed to increase
individual and community awareness and responsibility
for solid waste generation, as well as promote student/community
interaction. "We wanted the students to leave the project with feelings
of hope, saying 'I can make a difference,'" said Bonnie Palmer, Westhill
Elementary school teacher. Students attended a 3-day environmental
education camp that focused on conservation, reuse, and recycling con-
cepts. After the camp, they applied what they learned through hands-on
activities including a community newspaper drive, an aluminum can
recycling program in the school, and a cafeteria waste reduction effort.
The students encouraged citizens to bring old newspapers to the
school, advertised the event, and coordinated pickup and dropoff times.
In addition, they worked with cafeteria employees to purchase reusable
products, rather than disposable ones. They also designed posters and
wrote and performed plays encouraging community members and class-
mates to recycle.
Through these activities, the students
increased their awareness of solid waste
management, established close ties with
the community, and strengthened their
English and math skills. The town now has
less litter, and the students can understand
and appreciate the positive impact of their
efforts on the environment.
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Waste Inventions: Students
Build landfill Solutions
Calvert Middle School—Calvert County, Maryland
aryland middle school students
attended a camp, then worked with
their teachers and landfill employees
to solve various problems at their local landfill.
The project, which lasted for several years, included a preparatory week-
long summer camp where students studied environmental issues. At the end
of the camp, landfill manager Dan Williams gave the kids a tour of the land-
fill, identified several problems at the site, and asked
students to devise reasonable solutions. Over the
next school year, the students worked to solve
their assigned problem. Each year a different
class attended camp, received a new chal-
lenge, and designed and manufactured a
solution using only materials they found at
the landfill. One year, students designed and
assembled a "wind-catcher"—a contraption
to catch loose paper and other debris from
the landfill—made of an old boat trailer, scrap
lumber, and used netting. "The thing looked
strange—it had wings—but it worked," Williams
said. Another group created a structure from wood
braces and cross-strung nylon line to prevent seagulls, which scavenge at
landfills, from destroying the office roof, saving the county more than
$12,000 in repair costs.
By participating in the projects, students gained hands-on knowledge
about landfill operations while acquiring communication, design, and
critical thinking skills. "It's amazing to see the ideas students produce
when they're challenged," Williams said.
Contact:
Dan Williams, landfill Manager
Calvert County Bureau
of Solid Waste
P.O. Box 1330
lusby, MD 2C65J
Phone: 410 326-0210
Fax: 410 586-9461
E-Tnail: dwilliaTTns@aTTneritel.net
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'Reai World' Recycimg
Winston Middle School—Winston, Oregon
t 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 man-
agement efforts.
Contacts:
Terri Peterson
Douglas County Waste
Reduction and Recycling
1036 South East Douglas, ROOTTG 220
Roseburg, OR 9J4JC
Phone: 541440-4350
Fax: 541 440-4413
Jean Robertson
Winston Middle School
330 Thompson Street
Winston, OR 9J493
Phone: 541 6J9-3CC2
The students made recycling presenta-
tions to the school board and city council to
lobby for community solid waste reduction. In 2
years, they performed 20 waste audits for interested
companies, examining trash, weighing recyclable
materials, and noting potential waste reduction
opportunities. The students presented their find-
ings, which included assessments of waste losses as
well as current and potential costs and savings, to the
companies. A town Earth Day event culminated the project,
complete with booths designed and staffed by students, teachers, and
local government entities
such as the Bureau of
Land Management and
the local fish and wildlife
organization.
Through the project,
students formed commu-
nity connections and
taught solid waste con-
cepts while business own-
ers and employees offered
insight on environmental concerns in the corporate world. "Many of the
students who excelled in performing waste audits were not strong acade-
mic students," said Terri Peterson, project coordinator. "This project
allowed students to recognize their individual talents outside the class-
room, in a real-world atmosphere."
-------
0
Future
Mate a Difference
Rutledge High School—Rutledge, Tennessee
:
Recognizing a need
for increased solid
waste education
in its school and community, the Future
Homemakers of America (FHA) club at
Rutiedge High School in Rutledge, Tennessee,
started a progressive solid waste education pro-
gram in 1992 that continues today.
Contact:
Barbara Morgan
Ktrtledge High School
P.O. Box 38
Kutledge, TN 3J861
Phone: 423 828-3822
Fax: 423 828-4828
Students worked with a local company to design
billboards with environmental messages such as "Help our Mother
Earth" and "Earth Day Every Day." They also designed informational
pamphlets, flyers, and placemats to promote solid waste issues such as
litter prevention, recycling, sorting, and composting, for distribution at
schools, grocery stores, and restaurants. Some students wrote articles for
the local county paper about solid waste management issues, such as oil
reuse. Others organized and used a curriculum with videos and activities
to teach fellow students and those with special needs about solid waste
management. Finally, the students made solid waste management pre-
sentations to local civic organizations and practiced what they taught by
adopting a 2-mile stretch of Highway 11W, which they cleaned four
times a year.
As a result of the program, solid waste awareness increased within the
entire community, and students learned the importance of recycling and
participating in the community. "Several parents have told me after their
children participated in the program, they wanted recycling bins at home,"
said Barbara Morgan, the
FHA teacher sponsor and
project coordinator.
-------
Lights, Camera,... Recycling!
Bishop O'Dowd and Castro Valley High Schools-
Alameda County, California
m^ .
:
Recognizing that
most solid
waste educa-
tional materials are geared for a younger
audience, students and teachers from
two Alameda County, California, high
schools joined forces to produce their
own solid waste educational video.
Contact:
Curry Hyde, Program Manager
Davis Street Education Center
2615 Davis Street
San teandro, CA 94522
Fhone: 510 563-4282
Fax: 510 563-4210
E-Tnail: curry_hyde@
aiaTmeda-coe.M2.ca.us
Students from Bishop O'Dowd and
Castro Valley high schools, their teachers,
and volunteers from local media and educa-
tional organizations worked together to produce
100% Waste Free, an educational video with an important message
designed to appeal to high school students. The students wrote the
script for the video and acted in a series of scenes that addressed pur-
chasing and disposal behaviors. The video, combined with a followup
discussion and suggested activities, has helped to generate student, facul-
ty, and staff awareness for solid waste management issues. It also has
become part of a presentation given to high school students and visitors
to the Davis Street Education Center, which is located next to one of
the county's recycling facilities.
"Our goal for the video was for high
school students to see real situations, which
they encounter in their everyday lives, and
think about how they can each make a differ-
ence by reducing, reusing, recycling, and com-
posting to reduce the amount of trash they
generate," said Curry Hyde, program manag-
er at the Davis Street Education Center.
-------
Warriors'
Encourage Recycling
Waterford High School—Waterford, Connecticut
fter hearing an inspir-
ing speech about
1 local environmen-
tal issues, juniors and seniors at Waterford High
School embarked on a year-long service-learning
mission. They improved their school's recycling
program, implemented a new composting pro-
gram, and assisted in redesigning the Waterford,
Connecticut, town recycling program's brochure.
Contact:
Joy Gaughan
Waterford High School
20 Rope Ferry Road
Waterford, CT 06385-2894
Phone: 860 43J-6956
Fax: 860 44J-J928
To improve recycling at their school, the students part-
nered with mentally disabled peers to assess and redesign
their current program, implementing changes and
collecting a greater volume of recyclables.
They also collected leaves from the communi-
ty and newspapers and cafeteria scraps from the
school for their composting program. Finally,
they attempted to make the town's recycling
brochure more attractive, in the hope that they
could better educate local residents about which
paper, metal, glass, and plastic items can be recycled.
In addition to an indepth knowledge of the town's
recycling program, these students learned about solid
waste, composting, energy use, recycling education, and
the skills and knowledge of mentally disabled students.
"Some students became environmental warriors, stressing the
need to think globally and act locally," said Justin Trager,
the Waterford High Learning Through Service Program
coordinator. "They made sure that everyone got
involved in recycling—even teachers." According to
the students' teacher, Joy Gaughan, the students
carried these practices into their homes,
teaching family members the importance
of solid waste responsibility.
"POPSR
ONtq
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-------
4
School
From Paper to Flowerpots—Thayer County
Cooperative Extension Agency 14
Working With Worms—Earthworks' Junior Master
Composter Program 15
Middle School
From 4-H to 3 R's—4-H CAPITAL Program 16
Storm Drains and Recycling Games—Roseville
Middle School Student Initiative 17
Slick Students Tackle Oil Recycling—4-H Club
Recycling Efforts 18
HIGH
High School
Battery Brigade Educates Community— "JustR-3 It!"
4-H Project 19
Students Graduate to Safe Disposal—
Montgomery County, Maryland Household
Hazardous Waste Collection.. ...20
-------
Frotn Paper to Flowerpots
Thayer County Cooperative Extension Agency
Hebron, Nebraska
s part of a school
enrichment pro-
' gram promoting
volunteerism, first- through sixth-grade stu-
dents in Nebraska learned how to make
flowerpots from recycled-content paper,
which they gave to "adopted grandparents"
at area elder care communities.
Contact:
Crystal FangTmeier
Thayer County Cooperative
Extension Agency
225 North Fourth Street
Hebron, NE 683JC
Phone: 402 J68-J212
Fax: 402 J68-J213
Crystal Fangmeier of the Thayer County
Cooperative Extension Agency developed the program
3 years ago to educate children that "just because you throw something
away, that doesn't mean it's gone." More than 100 students 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 a mold, they shaped the paper pulp into starter pots,
let them dry for a week, and planted flowers for their adopted grandpar-
ents. 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 connection with an older
generation. After the program, kids
told Ms. Fangmeier how they con-
tinued to reduce paper waste by col-
oring their own wrapping paper,
using less paper, or recycling the
paper they used.
-------
WorVmg With WOYTOS
Earthworks' Junior Master Composter Program
Grapevine, Texas
T
he Earthworks Junior
Master Composter
Program is teaching
Contact:
tarry WittielTm
Route 1, Box 64
Ranger, TX J64JC
Phone: 81J 424-0540
youth in Grapevine, Texas, and throughout the South
to spread the word about composting and organic recy-
cling. According to a Texas Governor's Report, up to 70
percent of the waste stream is organic. Inspired by that fact,
the goal of the Junior Master Composter Program is to increase chil-
dren's awareness of the positive role they can play in waste reduction at
home and at school through composting. They also are learning how
worms can help them compost organic materials, through a process
known as "vermicomposting."
Through the program, fifth- and sixth-graders learn about compost-
ing and vermicomposting in a 4-hour course that teaches them
how to turn leaves, grass, and food scraps into "black
gold," or compost. Specifically, the course deals with
the history of garbage and landfills, the def-
inition of organic material, and the princi-
ples of composting. The participating
school receives a compost bin, thermome-
ter, manual, resource books, and worm
bin from the Earthworks Junior Master
Composter Program. After attending the
class, each student spends an additional 4 hours teach-
ing parents and neighbors to compost yard trimmings or work-
ing with other students at school composting demonstration 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 3 years, the Earthwork's Junior Master Composter
Program, funded by eight grants, has reached 10,000 students at 125
schools in Texas and Kansas. Additional programs are now under devel-
opment nearby in Missouri, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
-------
Frew) 4-H to 3
4-H CAPITAL Program
Austin, Texas
Contact:
Ullianne Goeders
Travis County Agricultural
Extension Service
1600 B STmith Road
Austin, TX nm
Phone: 512 4J3-9600
Fax: 512 4J3-9611
reventh- and
eighth-grade stu-
dents in a 4-H
afterschool program in Austin, Texas, are
teaching their peers and others in the com-
munity about the "three R's"—reduce, reuse,
and recycle—through workshops, a display, a
video, and a Web site.
After learning about reduction, reuse, and recycling, the teens decided
to spread the word. They redesigned their own 4-H curriculum to
incorporate the "three R's" and then promoted it to their peers at other
4-H clubs in El Paso, Texas. The Austin
youth then took their ideas to the com-
munity, setting up a display of compost-
ing bins at a nearby environmental
education center to help visitors learn
about composting through hands-on
experimentation. Magnifying glasses and
thermometers allowed people to deter-
mine the temperature of a compost pile
and get a close-up look at the compo-
nents of the material. More recently, the
youths wrote and acted in a 10-minute
video promoting reduction, reuse, and
recycling activities, which is shown
throughout the local school system. The students also researched, wrote,
designed, and learned how to create a Web site, which will promote the
"three R's" worldwide.
Through this ongoing program, students have developed a sense of
pride and accomplishment while learning the importance of protecting
the environment. Lillianne Goeders, the project coordinator, finds par-
ticipation in the program has "increased their awareness of environmen-
tal issues and allowed them to see a connection to their own lives."
-------
Stormn Crams at)d
Recycling Games
Roseville Middle School Student Initiative
Little Canada, Minnesota
I
. n conjunction with
! their school's Science
Contact:
Dina Bizzato
Kosevilie Area Middle School
15 East County Road B2
tittle Canada, MN 5511J
Fax: 612 482-5299
Phone: 612 482-5280
E-Tmail: dbizzaro®
toseville.M2.Tinn.us
Club and the
Retired Senior Volunteer Program of St. Paul,
seventh- and ninth-grade students at Roseville
Middle School in Little Canada, Minnesota, are
voluntarily working with both the young and old
to teach waste management and proper disposal of
hazardous materials in their community through an
ongoing project.
On their own initiative, the students decided to stencil storm drains
with warnings to remind residents that dumping used motor oil or other
household hazardous wastes down the drains poses a serious threat to
local wildlife and water quality. The students filled out the permit paper-
work, researched safety requirements, determined the type of paint
allowed, and bought the appropriate stencils. To
inform the community of their activity, they also
wrote and distributed flyers. Senior citizens helped
them stencil the storm drains and continue to pro-
vide advice and hands-on assistance for other pro-
grams. In addition, to educate younger children
about recycling, the students created a recycling
game that involved making model recycling bins,
compost containers, and thrift-store bags. Now,
they teach children in elementary schools and day-
care centers how to put the appropriate items in
the correct containers using words and pictures.
Through their leadership, these students
have learned about environmental issues and gov-
ernmental process, while they gained hands-on
skills and intergenerational understanding. The
community has benefitted from increased recycling
and decreased contamination of the watershed.
-------
SlicV Students TacWe OU
Recycling
4-H Club Recycling Efforts
Sevierville, Tennessee
ince 1991, the
3,200-member
4-H club in
Sevierville, Tennessee, has worked with
local officials to reduce solid waste by pro-
moting recycling, often with positive results.
Contact:
Glenn K. Turner, Extension
Agent
112 Court Avenue, ROOTTQ 102
Sevierville, TN 3J862
Phone: 423 453- 3695
Fax: 423 453-6830
E-Tmail:
gVturner<®cru.gv/utV.edu
In 1993, Sevier County expanded the num-
ber of sites for recycling plastic bottles, newspapers,
and aluminum cans and added containers for collecting
used oil. The 4-H club volunteered logistical support for the public kickoff
event and distributed bookmarks at local businesses describing to customers
new countywide oil recycling opportunities. Select junior and senior high
school students, through the 4-H Honor Club, provided local leadership in
Project ROSE (Recycled Oil Saves Energy), a national oil recycling educa-
tion initiative. They asked parents and neighbors to put used oil from auto-
mobiles and lawnmowers into containers for recycling, rather than
dumping it down a drain or on the ground where it would leak into soil or
waterways. Local newspapers supported the 4-H public awareness cam-
paign, and radio spots recorded by 4-H members encouraged recycling.
With the help of the students, oil recycling efforts have increased from
1,200 to 25,000 gallons per year in the past 5 years.
County officials attribute the ongoing oil
recycling program's success to education by
Sevier County 4-H programs. According to
Glenn Turner, 4-H leader and Agricultural
Extension service agent, club members
learned that "they can have an impact.
They can be involved in local issues, and
they are making a difference."
-------
Battery Brigade
Educates Community
"Just R-3 It!" 4-H Project
Seminole and Volusia County, Florida
"Battery Brigade" of 13- to 18-year-old
students is educating the
' community about
the importance of using rechargeable batter-
ies and recycling batteries, as part of an
ongoing "Just R-3 It!" 4-H project in
two Florida counties.
Contact:
Shelda WilVens/Matcia Mortis
Seroinole and Volusia County 4-H
250 West County Howe Road
Sanford, Ft 32M3
Phone (WilVens): 4CJ 323-2500, Ext. 555J
Phone (Mortis): 904 822-5W8
Fax: 40J 330-9593 (Semnole)
Fax: 904 822-5J6J (Volusia)
E-Tmail: swilVens®
co.seTTQino|e.fl.us
Knowing that children are large con-
sumers of batteries for toys and portable
games, club leaders designed the pro-
gram to educate youth about the way
batteries are made, the potential environ-
mental impacts of various types of batter-
ies, and the importance of disposing of/
recycling batteries properly. For fairs and other
community events, the youth worked with the 4-H
leaders to develop an exhibit promoting reduction, reuse, and recycling.
They staffed this exhibit at least four or five times a year, distributed
information about the county recycling program, and answered
people's questions about recycling. The youth also put together a
calendar using text and artwork from a poster and essay contest
they sponsored. The calendar was distributed throughout the
schools in the two counties.
Not only are the students learning about environmental
stewardship, but they also are promoting these concepts
to their peers and adults in the community. They devel-
oped a sense of how they can create environmental
solutions beyond their own recycling habits by influ-
encing others to make environmentally conscientious
decisions as well.
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Students Graduate to Safe Disposal
Montgomery County, Maryland Household
Hazardous Waste Collection
ontgomery County, Maryland, student
volunteers are learning about solid waste
issues and earning credits toward gradua-
tion. This ongoing program also helps keep substantial quantities of
household hazardous waste out of the waste stream.
On household hazardous waste collection
days, unused paint, left-over household
chemicals, and other materials that can-
not be disposed of in the trash are
accepted for disposal at the county
transfer station and other satellite
locations. Although only contrac-
tors handle donated materials, vol-
unteers provide necessary logistical
support to make these collections
possible, reduce the cost of frequent
collection, and allow for safe disposal
of these materials. Between July 1997
and June 1998 about 20 percent of the 60
volunteers participating in the household haz-
ardous waste collections were students. These volunteers directed 250 to
665 cars per day.
"This is an excellent opportunity for students," said Montgomery
County's Master Recycler/Composter Volunteer Program Manager,
Susanne Brunhart. "No prior experience or background knowledge is
required in order to make a significant contribution to the success of the
event." After seeing how much household hazardous waste is collected for
disposal in a single day, students began to understand the need for source
reduction—buying only the amount they will use or selecting a less toxic
alternative. In order to meet a graduation requirement for service hours,
the students wrote a statement to reflect on what they learned.
Contact:
Susanne Brunhart, Manager
Montgomery County Master
Recycler/CoTmposter Volunteer Program
18410 Muncaster Road
Derwood, MD 20855-1421
Phone: 301 590-2818
Recycling Hotline: 301590-0046
Fax: 301590-2801
E-Tmail: Tmrc@windsor.coTm
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or more information about service-learning
lHB programs, grants, and ideas, contact your
11 state's community service commission or
education department. The following national organi-
zations also are involved in coordinating or funding
service-learning projects.
Corporation for National Service
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 provide a broad range of opportunities to
Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communi-
ties and the nation. One of its grant programs, Learn and Serve
America, supports service-learning programs in schools, colleges,
and community organizations that engage nearly 1 million youth
in the areas of education, public safety, the environment, and
other human needs.
Earth
EYery
Learn/Serve Grant and RuiJedge High School
Future HomeiYiakeri of America
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team atid Serve America National Service-
teartritig Gearmghoirse
University of Minnesota
Department of Work, Community, and Family Education
1954 Buford Avenue, Room R-460
St. Paul, MN55108
Phone: 800 808-SERV (800 808-7378)
Fax:612625-6277
Web site: www.nicsl.coled.umn.edu
This informational Web site, funded by the Corporation for National
Service and developed and maintained by the National Youth Leadership
Council with the University of Minnesota, is designed to help educators
and community agencies develop and expand service-learning opportu-
nities for all youth. More than 1,100 Learn and Serve
America grantees are included as well as state
contacts, community-based grant-making
agencies, articles on service-learning, and a
bibliography of service-learning issues.
National 4-H CoirocU
7100 Connecticut Avenue
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Phone: 301 961-2800
Fax: 301 961-2894
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 "Just R-3 It!"
program offers seed grants specifically to help children promote reduc-
tion, reuse, and recycling through county cooperative extension offices
in Southern California; Orlando, Florida; Itasca, Illinois; Bridgeport,
Tennessee; and Irving/Dallas, Texas. The council also is creating an
informal network of youth across the country involved with environ-
mental projects.
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Girl Scouts of the USA
National Headquarters
420 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018-2798
Phone: 800 GSUSA4U (478-7248)
Web site: www.girlscouts.org
Girl Scouts age 5 to 17 and their leaders are involved in environmen-
tal activities 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 Scouts of America
National Office
Boy Scouts of America
1325 West Walnut Hill Lane
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, TX 75015-2079
Phone: 972 582-2000
Web site: www.bsa.scouting.org
Naturally involved in many outdoor activities, Boy Scouts strive to
become citizens 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 environ-
mental organizations, and receive awards for projects that inform the
public about the importance of environmental protection.
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Boys & Girls Clubs of America
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 citizens and leaders. Programs in the clubs' outdoor
and environmental education program help youth develop an awareness,
appreciation, and knowledge of the environment through activities in
the club or in natural settings.
TaVe A Class Outdoors: A Guidebook for
l:\ivLroti\inental Service teartritig
National Dropout Prevention Center
College of Health, Education, and Human Development
Clemson University
209 Martin Street
Clemson, SC 29634-0726
Phone: 864 656-2599
Web site: www.dropoutprevention.org
Designed to inform educators and administrators about environmental
service-learning and its positive effect on students, this guide includes sec-
tions 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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Mote Ideas
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:
• Mllltifavnily Dwelling Collection Days—start a volunteer program
that picks up recyclables or coordinates household hazardous collection
days in apartment complexes or other multifamily residential areas.
• Vehicles foif Seniors—provide seniors with transportation to do their
recycling or establish a weekly pick-up system within senior citizen
communities.
• Cafeteria Recycling/Sorting Days—help your school become more
environmentally sound by starting a cafeteria recycling/sorting pro-
gram for packaging or food waste.
• \Jsed Clothing or Furniture/Collection Days—start a neighborhood
campaign and collection system and donate all goods to homeless
shelters. Design and distribute flyers to encourage neighborhood par-
ticipation.
• Moving Days—establish a volunteer service aimed at helping people
who are moving into or out of your neighborhood locate recycling
facilities and properly dispose of household hazardous waste.
• Senior Partners—start a volunteer program that pairs youth with
senior citizens to give talks to local citizen groups and schools about the
importance of safely managing solid and household hazardous waste.
OUR
OffLD
DUB
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Are you participating in a
solid waste educational experience
through a service-learning project
in your school or community?
Or would you like to know more about
service-learning and solid waste?
We'd like to hear from you!
Contact:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste (MC: 5305W)
Washington, DC 20460
* V at I Fr-.~ .^TP
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