by Alison Anderson, KFB Board Member
When I was a child, I was intrigued by Discovery Channel shows and I loved all animals. At age 7, I was an endangered sea turtle for Halloween. I made a costume out of a paper bag, with a crayon colored turtle shell on it, accessorized with a plastic six ring soda packaging around my neck. I passed out a little flyer that reminded people to cut the plastic packaging for a pack of soda and dispose of it properly, so that animals couldn’t get stuck and die.
Somewhere, along the way, I learned the importance of caring about the environment. It could’ve been from Discovery Channel, could’ve been from my parents, could’ve been from books I read, and could’ve, most definitely, been from teachers at school, where I spent most of my developmental years.
Today, I have a passion for the environment. I love serving on the board for Keep Florence Beautiful and I love encouraging others to be conscious of their own habits and how they impact the community and world around them.
Currently, I also serve as a mentor for the Green Steps program, which has been adopted by the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina.
My hope today is to spark some interest in those who teach and/or work with our children to join me in the Green Steps program. I can assure you, it’s easier than you may think! We want to help teachers/staff establish environmental projects that can be sustained overtime and mostly run by the children. They will “learn”, “do”, and “teach” as they grow a love and knowledge of how they can help our environment and communities.
Being part of the Green Steps programs can leave a big impact on the youth who learn from us, and it can help them become intentional stewards of our communities and environment. Let’s help them find their passion through various projects; some areas include:
Conserve Projects:
- Energy
- Reduce
- Reuse
- Recycle
- Green Purchasing
Protect Projects
- Air
- Water
- Prevent Litter
Restore Projects
- Soil
- Habitat
Whatever project you decide on can be interwoven into your current teaching plans and overlap with other subjects as well. The idea isn’t to make teachers do more work, we want to help you incorporate or continue these environmentally conscious lessons/projects that you are already doing and get recognized for them, and possibly win awards and grants! You may be able to start a new project that coincides with any subject you teach. There are tons of ideas and resources to help you get started!
Your mentor will help you submit a photo of kids “LEARNING” from an adult, “DOING” a hands on project, and a photo of kids “TEACHING” what they’ve learned to other students, their parents, or through posters in the hallway. To be considered for an award you must have had a project sustained for a year.
If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in joining me in this program, please reach out to me by email (alison@keepflorencebeautiful.org) and we can get started with something for this up coming school year! You need two adults from your school who are committed to the program, which can be a teacher or another support staff. I would love to help you get started or get recognized for a project you’ve already been involved in! Let’s do our part to help make a better tomorrow!