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Pine-Richland’s 6-School Sustainability Club doesn’t just talk the talk. It’s walking the walk
Students from second through 12th grades will join forces with Pine Township to support its Earth Day Event, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 27 at the Pine Community Center.
Sustainability Club members will facilitate three community engagement opportunities: table activities, along with fashion and art shows featuring items that have been recycled.
“We have been meeting with Pine Township representatives all year to plan for this event and to narrow down the vast array of brainstormed potential opportunities for our activities at the event,” said Kristen Justus, assistant superintendent of elementary education and curriculum. “We are excited to engage in this experience with the community and are hopeful to remain connected to continue to improve our collaborative sustainability efforts.”
Students who participate in the Sustainability Club are looking forward to the event because it closely aligns with their goal of educating classmates about small ways they can help the earth and provide a more sustainable future. They are looking forward to volunteering at the event, explaining their cause to others, and participating in the fashion and art shows.
The club includes more than 30 student leaders from all the district’s buildings. Students work as teams within their buildings to promote recycling and other sustainability initiatives.
Club members come together five or six times a year to discuss their progress and share new ideas, and they also attends quarterly Sustainability Leadership Council meetings with district and community members to present their work and engage in the strategic actions of the district.
“There is no better source of inspiration and future-focused discussion than one of our 6-School Sustainability Leadership Club meetings,” said Justus. “When our club first started, we had a handful of representatives at each building, amounting to about 12 student leaders owning the initiatives in each location and working to drive change and promote a culture of sustainability.
“Today, that number has grown to 30 leaders with additional engagement opportunities through each building’s club structure.”
The club uses the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools framework and pillars as guides. Over the past two years, the focus has been on Pillar 1: Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs, namely through recycling initiatives, reduction in electricity and water consumption, and alternative transportation, including the introduction of EV buses.
“The students are truly the compelling voice of change as we expand our recycling efforts,” Justus reported. “It was their interest and advocacy that led to us formally entering a contract with our current recycling vendor, who offers single-stream recycling beyond just paper to that of aluminum and plastic, as well.
“When we first invited the township representatives from both Richland and Pine to join our overarching Sustainability Leadership Council, it didn’t take long for the kids to want to become integrated into the community opportunities as well.”
Pine Township Supervisor Casey White applauded the efforts.
“I’ve enjoyed seeing the township and Pine-Richland School District expand their relationship and enhance collaboration opportunities,” he said. “As a supervisor, it’s great to see how elementary, middle school and high school students can get involved within their community and develop creative, kid-friendly ways that they can positively impact township goals and initiatives.
The club’s Earth Day Event activities:
• Recycled Art Show, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Pine Community Center lobby.
Dabbling artists of all ages are encouraged to submit a piece of work for display for the duration of the Earth Day event. Pine-Richland students have their own recycled art, such as Hance Elementary School’s plastic water bottle installation in the style of American glass artist Dale Chihuly.
• Recycled and Upcycled Fashion Show, 11:30 a.m. to noon, Community Rooms A & B.
Pine-Richland held its first recycled and upcycled fashion show at Hance Elementary School for Earth Day, and the students had so much fun that they suggested an expansion to Pine’s event. Models of all ages are invited to don their recycled and upcycled clothing and accessories to strut the catwalk with pride inspired by sustainability.
Members of the 6-School Sustainability Club will emcee, and they will have a few upcycled items on hand for willing participants to wear while they walk. Participants will have their names and outfits announced as they enter the fashion show walkway.
Students plan to have materials on hand for participants to construct egg-carton bracelets or fashion pieces.
• Student-Run Booth, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. outside Pine Community Center.
The booth will include interactive trivia questions, student presentations on the work of the 6-School Sustainability Club to date, and giveaways connected to each building’s achievements. Wexford Elementary students will host a butterfly garden seed giveaway in connection to the children’s book “Mariposa” and other efforts they’ve been engaged in throughout the year.
For more information, visit www.twp.pine.pa.us/484/Earth-Day-Event-2024.
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