Paris Central is Going for Gold!
While volleyball teams practice, cross-country runners train and the students’ council plans special events, the Paris Central EcoClub is trying to protect the planet. Last year, the staff and students of Paris Central School were committed to lowering their environmental footprint by focusing on establishing a recycling program school wide. They were energized by the spring Eco Conference, and were beginning to recognize that they could make meaningful change at the school and in the community. The team realized that education was the key. All students needed to be able to discriminate between recyclable and non-recyclable items in order to divert waste from local landfills.
The EcoClub organized a number of presentations, events and fun activities to teach students about recycling. They also maintained a website that documented their activities. A group of Intermediate students worked together after school to construct centralized recycling stations for the whole school to use. Their efforts paid off. There was no contamination in the school recycling during the June waste audit, and the amount of garbage being thrown out had reduced drastically. As a result, the school received EcoSchools certification at the Silver level.
This year, the team has been focusing on reducing waste: both garbage and recycling. They have launched a “Ban the Bottle” campaign and plan to host speakers, purchase reusable water bottles, and begin looking into solutions for composting at the school. The team is highly motivated to change the school’s impact on the environment in a positive way.
This year, the team is hoping to achieve Gold Certification. If you would like to follow Paris Central’s journey towards sustainability and Gold Certification, visit the EcoClub’s website at http://adwalk77.wix.com/paris-central-green.