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Reed encourages schools to reduce trash, waste Learn Green, Live Green focus for February: Reduce, Reuse, Rethink
Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Suellen Reed encouraged schools today to focus on reducing waste in February as part of the Indiana Department of Education’s year-long initiative “Learn Green, Live Green.” “The best way to reduce trash is to avoid making it,” said
Reed. “Changing your daily habits is the key. So, while at
home or school, I encourage all Hoosiers to think of ways to minimize
waste.” The Learn Green, Live Green focus for February is Reduce, Reuse, Rethink. This not only addresses reducing waste, but finding creative ways to reuse discarded items and rethink their purpose. Can that piece of paper be turned into scratch paper? Can you reuse that peanut butter jar to store something? Can that old article of clothing be donated instead of being thrown away? Instructional Assistant Cindy Schultz from Pulaski Elementary in Winamac came up with a creative way to not only reduce waste, but turn it into something useful. After collecting individual cookie bags (standard individual foil bags that usually contain potato chips or pretzels) from her kindergarten class at lunch, Schultz took them home and sewed them together to make a sturdy lunch bag complete with handles. In the process, Schultz also found a creative project for the students. “I tried sewing the bags together with a blunt needle and yarn and it works just as well as sewing on the machine,” she said. “We’ll have the students start making them next.” To read more about Schultz’s creation and view photos of the project, go online to www.doe.in.gov/green and click on Spotlight. Learn Green, Live Green Learn Green, Live Green is designed to help educators, students, parents and community members discover practical, cost-effective ways to model environmentally-responsible behavior both inside and outside of the classroom. The Learn Green, Live Green concept fits naturally with Indiana’s academic standards, local school curricula and student learning goals at each grade level. Local participation is completely voluntary. Each month in 2008, the Indiana Department of Education will spotlight a different aspect of the issue through an interactive Web site, www.doe.in.gov/green, while offering a variety of related resources for schools and communities. Online resources The Department of Education has
launched the Web site, www.doe.in.gov/green to keep administrators,
educators, students, parents and community members up to date on
all the happenings of the Learn Green, Live Green initiative. The
Web site not only provides a focus for each month, but resources
including helpful tips, facts and figures, school projects, reading
materials, highlights from Indiana schools and even an online forum
to share ideas with Hoosiers from across the state. The Department of Education would like to share your green ideas with fellow Hoosiers. If your school, community group or family is participating in green projects, we would like to know about it. Please contact Lynelle A. Miller at lamiller@doe.in.gov to share innovative green ideas as well as photos and stories.
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Indiana Department of Education |
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