Students Drive the Action at Park Hill K-8

Students on the Park Hill Youth Council had already taken on the issues of the school dress code and the handling of playground equipment when they began working with Earth Force. Advisor Mr. Jim Fasnaugh invited Earth Force staff to speak to the students on the Youth Council, who ended up attending Youth Voice United and the Annual Youth Summit!

After a strong start to the school year, the students - from third through eighth grade - decided to focus on recycling as one of their major projects.

The Youth Council wanted to promote recycling at their school through an awarness campaign. They decided they would have to shock their peers into action first - by making them aware of the extreme littering problem on the schoolyard.

The students decided to make an informational presentation over the lunch hour. Leading up to the presentation, they collected several bags of litter from the schoolyard over the course of a few days. As part of their presentation, they revealed the extent and nature of the litter to their peers.

They also hosted an informational booth with a television showing how litter was affecting their environment, and read statistics on waste. The resounding message was clear: to eliminate waste, it is vital that we recycle in our communities.

They had every student sign a petition at their booth, promising to learn more about recycling, begin recycling at their own home, and pass then pass the recycling bug on to others.

At the end of the school year the Youth Council celebrated their huge success with an ice cream party - and a brainstorming session to develop ideas for new projects for next year!