Students take the lead in building a more sustainable school and community
Have you ever wondered how high school students can make a difference in the world? At Southern Gap High School, students are proving that positive change can start with something as simple as a recycling bin.
The SGHS Recycling Club is working to create a cleaner, more sustainable school by educating students, collecting recyclable materials, and giving students the opportunity to take ownership of environmental projects.
Led by Rochelle Deel, the Recycling Club works with nearly 50 students and is part of a larger sustainability initiative made possible through Walking Softer Education. The program provides students with lessons about sustainability, conservation, and responsible environmental practices. Students then use what they have learned to develop their own ideas for making a difference.
Rather than simply being handed a plan, students are encouraged to develop and lead their own projects. Once a project is approved, funding is provided to help students turn their ideas into action.
“This program is about more than simply recycling—it is about educating and empowering our students to become responsible for their school, community, and environment,” Deel said.
As part of the initiative, recycling containers have been placed throughout Southern Gap High School and in classrooms to collect plastic bottles. The containers are emptied regularly, and the collected bottles are transported to a recycling center in Blountville, Tennessee, with assistance from Austin Looney of the Sanitation Department.
Students are also collecting plastic bags as part of the NexTrex Recycling Challenge. The goal is to collect 1,000 pounds of eligible plastic film in an effort to earn a recycled-plastic bench for the school.
The challenge accepts clean, dry plastic film such as grocery bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, dry-cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, plastic shipping envelopes, resealable food-storage bags, cereal bags, case overwrap, pallet wrap and stretch film, wood pellet bags, produce bags, and salt bags.
The boxes located in the school lobby are specifically being used to collect these plastic bags and other qualifying materials. The SGHS Recycling Club is currently assisting the Big Sandy Soil and Water Conservation District with this collection effort.
Students and staff are encouraged to make sure all materials are clean, dry, and free of food residue before placing them in the collection boxes.
According to Deel, the response from students has already been encouraging.
Students are becoming more interested in recycling and are actively looking for ways to improve their school and community. The sustainability project has given them an opportunity to see firsthand how their ideas and actions can create change.
“This project gives students a hands-on way to take ownership of caring for our school while developing a greater understanding of sustainability and conservation,” Deel said.
The work isn’t stopping with recycling. Another group of students is currently developing an additional sustainability project, with plans to continue expanding the school’s environmental efforts.
The message behind the Recycling Club is simple: positive change starts with people willing to take action.
