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Turning Trash into Treasure: Kennedy Middle School Environmental Club Wins Grant for Sustainability Projects

Turning Trash into Treasure: Kennedy Middle School Environmental Club Wins Grant for Sustainability Projects

With a goal of giving trash a second chance through recycling and upcycling, the Environmental Club at Kennedy Middle School was awarded a mini-grant this school year to support ongoing efforts to promote environmental awareness and sustainability within the school and community. 

This award is just one of ten $200 mini-grants available to teachers in California through The California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) K-12 Technical Council. Applications for the grants were open statewide and 83 applications were received. 

The grant enabled the school’s Environmental Club to fund hands-on projects and organize eco-friendly initiatives, shared Princess Margaret Paz, seventh grade science teacher. The funds were used to purchase recycling bins for paper, plastics, and metals to establish a classroom recycling station.

“This achievement reflects our school’s dedication to fostering student leadership and environmental stewardship, and it aligns with the Redwood City School District’s commitment to creating a sustainable and innovative learning environment,” said Paz. 

Posters and activity guides also helped students understand the importance of proper waste sorting, she said, adding that the club hopes to inspire other environmental initiatives. 

Students also participated in a “Recycling Challenge” where they track how much waste they divert from the landfill over the course of a month. The Kennedy Environmental Club organized an interactive workshop where students created art or useful items from recycled materials, such as upcycled jewelry or bracelets made from paper beads.

Kennedy Environmental Club students celebrated Earth Day with seed planting, upcycling, and more—thanks to the mini grant that made it all possible

Kennedy Environmental Club students celebrated Earth Day with seed planting, upcycling, and more—thanks to the mini grant that made it all possible


The California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) K-12 Technical Council, the awarding entity, aims to support waste reduction in schools across the State. 

“Teachers need resources more than ever, and we are proud to help educators across the state who are integrating waste reduction lessons into their existing curriculum,” said Jill Buck, Executive Committee Member of the CRRA K-12 technical council and CEO of the Go Green Initiative.

Kennedy Science Teacher Princess Margaret Paz and members of the Environmental Club

Kennedy Science Teacher Princess Margaret Paz and members of the Environmental Club

 

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