A new poll by NPR and Ipsos found that more than 80% of parents support teaching about climate change in school, yet only 45% of parents discuss it with their children and only 42% of teachers with their students. The reasons vary, but this Earth Day one of our schools has taken up the challenge.
Mount Horeb High School in Wisconsin, a Project Happiness Club School sponsored by LG, for their PH Club's annual service project this year chose to focus on the environment and got the whole school involved.
On April 2, 2019, during their advisory period in school, students watched a video on environmental conservation and tips from Club Advisors Dana Showers and Kimberly Hilary while making origami pieces with the Students Rebuild challenge. Together the school raised nearly $2000 to be matched by the Bezos Foundation for ocean cleanup and conservation.
While creating the Origami Sea Creatures, students also watched a short video created by Ms. Showers to learn how to implement some pretty handy environmental tips into daily life to save plastic, energy, water and in many cases money! Check out some of these life hacks:
- Insert a half gallon jug of water into your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water per flush.
- Contact your local utilities company to see if they offer free energy saving kits - they do in many locations - including energy saving light bulbs, power strips, and low flow faucet attachments.
- Where possible use aluminum cans rather than plastic bottles as they can be recycled many more times. Better yet, don't use either, get a reusable bottle.
- You really only need one or two reusable bottles to take with you, so try to pass on the freebie swag. :) Also - Marie Kondo-ing your life (because that's a thing now) and donating "stuff" can be very freeing.
- Many people already use reusable shopping bags, but you can also buy reusable produce bags and sandwich bags!
- Use permanent razors rather than disposable, or shampoo and soap bars rather than what comes plastic bottles. Additionally, many exfoliating washes use non-biodegradable plastic beads - so examine your toiletries!
Our plastic is ending up everywhere! Including in the deepest trenches of the ocean, in the digestive tracts of marine life globally, and on the highest peaks of remote mountains. So thank you Mount Horeb Project Happiness for bringing awareness to this Earth Day and getting your whole school involved!
Want to do more? Ms. Showers talks about 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth in her video to their students.
Project Happiness Clubs include a service project annually because research shows that service to others improves happiness, wellbeing and a sense of meaning and purpose and reduces depression and loneliness. Contact us to find out how to start a Project Happiness Club in your school!
