Imagine trying to teach over 100 kindergarten students how to recycle. At the Horace Mitchell Primary School in Kittery, students have taken charge of their recycling program in a major way, and they are learning how to be good stewards to the environment in the process.
This year, third grade students wrote and presented proposals to Principal David Foster about why they wanted to serve on a school-wide “Green Team.” Upon student selection, the group began planning strategies to make the school “greener.”
After designing a system for collecting white paper and mixed paper, cans, bottles and plastics throughout the school, the students developed a presentation for their peers and the staff to educate them about the benefits of recycling. The Green Team then tackled the challenge of recycling in Mitchell’s lunch program. Now, the school composts all organic materials, and students are dedicated to ensuring that the lunch program uses only recyclable products.
Students at Mitchell care about their environment, and they are willing to work hard to help others understand the importance of recycling in the community.