School News You Can Use – May, 2017
Racing toward the Conference Finish Line!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
- CLUB Conference News – On-site DeLorean for Conference! It’s Not Too Late!
- CLUB News – Welcome New CLUB Members
- Grant & SWIP News – Teacher Resources Available at the Conference!
- In The News – Scientists Want to Freeze Your Computers
- Contests, Scholarships & Fundraisers – Can Cages!
- EPA & NHDES News – Hot (Food Waste) Topics
- Activity – Boxes & Bows
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CONFERENCE NEWS
Back to the Future’s DeLorean:
That’s right! In keeping with our “Back to the Future for Recycling … It’s Time!” theme, we have made arrangements for an on-site DeLorean for the Conference! All professional pictures with the DeLorean will be $5. The proceeds will go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research. Get a great keepsake photo alone or with your group and donate to a great cause!
For more about the Shea DeLorean, go to: www.88mphtimemachine.com
More Great Reasons to Attend the School CLUB Conference This Year:
NRRA Conference Brochure Available – Click HERE
We have lined up our speakers and workshops for the School CLUB Conference on May 23! Prepare to be amazed! From composting to student leadership to planning your Earth Day celebration – we have something for everyone!
Of course we’ll have activities, exhibits, games and our Mini-TOLD to round out a full day of activities!
GRANTS FOR NH SCHOOLS: To help with the registration fee, NH schools may apply for Conference Registration Grants through
NH the Beautiful!
Ready to register?
Schools may register their group on one Registration Page. However, please attach a separate list including all the printed names and designations (teacher, student, principal, etc.) for the Conference Badges.
Click HERE to download the School Conference Registration Page!
(You must download the Registration Page before it will be a “writeable” PDF. Simply fill it out and save it with your school’s name, then re-attach it to your email to send back to us.)
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CLUB NEWS
Welcome New CLUB Members!
Whitefield Elementary School
Photo courtesy of nelms.org
Whitefield, NH
Town of Whitefield, incorporated in 1804
PK-8, Public, Elementary, almost 300 students
Home of the Pirates
http://whitefield.sau36.schooldesk.net/
Portsmouth Middle School
Photo courtesy of cityofportsmouth.com
Portsmouth, NH
City of Portsmouth,
6-8, Public, Middle School, 500-600 students
Home of the Clippers
http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/school/pms/index.htm
Planning a Spring or Summer Event? Consider Using a RecycleMobile!
The RecycleMobile is a unique, mobile recycling trailer created to assist “special event” organizers with collecting recyclables. The RecycleMobile consists of a fiberglass “box” with six collection holes (three per side). The “box” is attached to a 4′ x 6′ trailer and houses six 32 gallon barrels. Collection signs are attached by two pieces of VelcroTM above the holes and can be changed depending on which materials are being collected!
The RecycleMobile is not only practical, but easy to use, eye catching and educational! Consider using the RecycleMobile at:
- Home Comings
- Sporting Events
- Fall Harvest Days
- School/Park Clean Ups
- Street Festivals/Fairs
- Earth Day Events
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of NRRA and New Hampshire the Beautiful, Inc. The RecycleMobiles are available for loan to NH municipalities, Schools and community groups for FREE!!!
Visit www.nrra.net or call us at 1-800-223-0150 for more information.
Many, Many, Many 3-Ring Binders & School Supplies Available
NRRA Member Steve from the North Hampton Transfer popped in and 
said he had cases and cases of gently used 3-ring binders that need a good home. He also has lightly used page protectors, hanging files with metal holders and 2-pocket portfolios.
If your school could use some of them, contact Gwen at The CLUB.
“Honest” School Still Needed . . .
Milford Middle School Seeks Honest Kids Pouch Brigade
We received the following request from our friends at Milford Middle School in NH:
They have been collecting Capri Sun drink pouches for years through the 
Terracycle brigade. Unfortunately, that program was discontinued on 12/31/16.
Honest Kids has a pouch brigade but there is a waiting list. Are there any schools in the New England area that are already signed up with the Honest Kids program that would be willing to take Milford’s collection until they can get on the Honest Kids program?
Please contact [email protected] if you can help!!
Many thanks for helping out and keeping their pouch recycling program going!
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GRANT & SWIP NEWS
Teacher Resources at the Conference!
Classic K-12 Recycling Activities with 21st Century Standards
NRRA’s School Recycling CLUB is pleased to announce that the newest editions of their school curricula 3R’s of the Common Core: A Teacher’s Resource Guide to Solid Waste and Recycling and Teaching Toxics: Creating Solutions to Household Pollution are ready for distribution! Hard copies of these resources will be available for review and purchase at the Conference.
In addition, four classroom workshop modules have been updated and will be available. They are:
- Garbage Guerrillas
- Back to the Earth
- Healthy Home/Clean Waters
- Waste = Global Climate Change
Everyone who participated in the Train the Teachers program held during the production of the new editions have received their training packets (CLUB classroom workshop modules including TTs and the 3R’s).
Anyone else interested in this program and receiving our revised curricula, please contact NRRA Programs Coordinator, Gwen Erley, at [email protected].
The deadline is 10/01/17 for qualifying rural communities to receive free materials, so don’t delay!
Rutland County SWAC SWIP Outreach Completed
Free Star Assessments for Schools
Vermont – NRRA’s School Recycling CLUB has completed our school outreach efforts for the 2016-2017 School year on behalf of the Rutland County Solid Waste Alliance Communities (RCSWAC). We met with six Rutland County schools in early March. Our goal is to assist with Act 148, Universal Recycling compliance.
RCSWAC Member towns include: Benson, Chittendon, Fair Haven, Middletown Springs, Pawlet, Rutland Town, Shrewsbury, Sudbury, Tinmouth and West Haven.
Outreach will resume in the fall for the 2017-2018 school year. School outreach consists of an NRRA Star Assessment and ANR School Recycling Scorecard. There is no cost to the schools thanks to RCSWAC funding.
For more information, please contact The CLUB at [email protected].
White River Alliance Solid Waste District SWIP Work Continues
Free School Workshops and Technical Assistance
Vermont – We continue to provide workshops to schools in the White River Alliance Solid Waste District in Eastern/Central, VT.
Alliance communities include: Barnard, Bethel, Granville, Hancock, Pittsfield, Rochester, Royalton and Stockbridge.
School outreach consists of four workshops and two technical assistance trainings. These are being paid for by the Alliance so there is no cost to the schools.
For more information, please contact The CLUB at [email protected].
Would you like to host a T.O.L.D., Garbage Guerrillas or another Workshop at your school? Let The CLUB Help!
- Improves academic performance, especially in science and math
- Can lead to financial savings for schools
- Decreases the school’s carbon footprint through practical solutions that reduce energy and water consumption
- Reduces school waste and conserves natural resources
- Encourages student environmental awareness and stewardship
- Increases parental involvement
- Helps students and teachers develop stronger relationships with their communities
The CLUB set-up for T.O.L.D. event (Trash On the Lawn Day)
Previous EPA EE-funded research at over 200 New England schools completed by the NRRA School Recycling CLUB (The CLUB) found that the single most challenging area for school recycling programs was in providing curriculum integrations that brought recycling and sustainability into classrooms to be used as the subject matter for meeting state and local curriculum standards. The intention of The CLUB programs is to address just that issue in schools across all six New England states. Our goal is to use The CLUB’s workshops and technical assistance programs, all experiential and hands on, as a tool for educating K-12 students about consumption, proper diversion of waste, the resulting impacts on climate change and what they can do to change it. Through these offerings, we are also afforded the opportunity to link these priorities to curriculum standards. In addition, these workshops will model, for educators or community leaders, exemplary ways of teaching in creative, effective, and efficient methods about human health threats from environmental pollution as well as how to minimize human exposure to preserve good health. Click here to learn more or contact us at [email protected] or call 1-603-736-4401, Ext. 19.
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IN THE NEWS
From our friends at WasteAdvantage Magazine
Scientists Want to Freeze and Pulverize Your Old Computers
Every year, people toss about 45 million tons of old smart phones, computers and other electronic waste into the trash. Flame retardants, rare earth metals and other dangerous compounds make much of this waste toxic. There are ways to recycle e-waste and reuse parts, but these methods and the regulations that require and enforce such recycling are struggling to keep up with the growing mountain of circuit boards and components.
From our friends at NH Audubon
Registration is Open: Plan your Teams Today
It is officially spring so it seems like a great time to start thinking about 
returning birds and emerging wildflowers. Though the height of spring is weeks away, it’s not too early to start planning for NH Audubon’s annual Birdathon/Bloomathon, taking place on May 20.
Find out all the details on the Birdathon/Bloomathon webpage!
Also from our friends at Waste Advantage Magazine
Vermont Schools Lead on Recycling and Composting
Vermont’s K-12 schools are at the forefront of implementing the Universal
Recycling law and using food education and local resources to cut down on food waste. They are successfully reducing waste, managing recyclable materials and creating food scrap diversion programs in exemplary form.
Please Say Y.E.S.!!! Call for Speakers
Y.E.S. (Youth Environmental Summit) is an annual event for middle and high school students who want to learn about environmental issues and find ways to take action. This year’s Summit will take place on November 2, 2017 at the Barre Civic Center in Barre, Vermont. They are looking for speakers and workshops on a wide variety of topics revolving around the environment.
To learn more, or submit your proposal, click HERE.
The New Hampshire Science Teachers’ Association Presents ESSI (Elementary Summer Science Institute):
The Lake, The Woods, and the Soil Beneath and Between: Being good Stewards and Tenants
WHEN: June 28, 29, and 30, 2017
WHERE: On the campus of Coe Brown Northwood Academy
TIME: 7:30 am to 1:00 pm
The New Hampshire Science Teachers’ Association is pleased to offer to you the 2017 Elementary Summer Science Institute. Taking place on the 200+ acre CBNA campus, participants will explore the Lake, The Woods, and the Soil Beneath and Between. The experiential workshops are designed to highlight good stewardship of our lakes, forests, and soil.
Are you looking for unique methods by which to integrate science activities into your classroom?
The 2017 ESSI is a three day event designed to provide field experiences to elementary teachers. What a great way to explore and meet NGSS benchmarks.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
From our Friends at Resource Recycling News
Keep America Beautiful Launches 2017 Great American Cleanup; Encourages Family, Friends and Neighbors to #cleanYOURblock
Millions of Volunteers Take Action to Clean, Restore and Renew America During Nation’s Largest Community Improvement Program
News provided by /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
Mar 20, 2017, 09:15 ET
STAMFORD, Conn., March 20, 2017 — Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading nonprofit that envisions a country in which every 
community is a clean, green and beautiful place to live, today announced the official launch of the 2017 Great American Cleanup. Entering its 19th year, Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup is the nation’s largest community improvement program with an estimated 50,000 events occurring from spring through fall in more than 20,000 communities across the country. Find a local Keep America Beautiful Affiliate at kab.org.
The Great American Cleanup engages more than 5 million volunteers and participants who take action in their local communities to create positive change and lasting environmental, economic and social impact. Nationally, the Great American Cleanup annually delivers more than $175 million in measurable economic benefits to communities.
Click HERE for the entire article.
From our friends at NH Audubon
Registration Opens Today: Summer Day Camp (June-August)
- June 26-August 18
- For children ages 4-12
- Leaders in Training ages 13-15
- 9am-4pm, extended care available
- McLane and Massabesic Centers
Summer Camp is a long standing tradition at NH Audubon and is held at both the McLane Center in Concord and Massabesic Center in Auburn. Camp programs are available to children ranging in age from 4-12 years old. Older participants (ages 13-15) have the opportunity to participate through our Leaders in Training program.
[Registration link and full details]
To see all of the great offerings at NH Audubon, click HERE:
cliparts.com
Interested in green cleaning? If you would like to host a workshop in your school, please consider The CLUB’s Healthy Home, Clean Waters Workshop or our Technical Assistance Training for facilities staff on Green Cleaning & Indoor Air Quality Evaluation & Review. For more information, please contact [email protected].
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Contests, Scholarships & Fundraisers
Hosting school events or sports this summer? Consider a Can Cage!
The CLUB is offering an opportunity for school recycling clubs to not only preserve the environment by collecting cans, but also to receive revenue on a per pound basis for the cans they collect. The goal of the program is to increase school recycling funds while increasing aluminum can recycling. As part of the program, The CLUB will provide participating schools with a large aluminum collection cage that can be parked out doors for easy access.
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of NRRA, NRRA’s School Recycling CLUB and Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc., the Can Cages (2) are available for loan to member schools for FREE!!!
For more information CLICK HERE or contact Programs Coordinator, Gwen Erley at [email protected].
For those with family or friends in college, or heading there . . .
From our Friends at the Compost Foundation
Young Investigator Scholarship
Now Accepting Applications
Deadline: June 30, 2017
The CCREF Young Investigator Scholarship focuses on supporting undergraduate through PhD students, from a college or university in the United States, conducting research and education in the fields of composting and compost use. More specifically, the ideal candidate will have interest in improving the compost process and the application and the utilization of finished compost to increase drought tolerance, soil nutrient content, reducing erosion and water pollution, and increasing carbon storage in soils to combat climate change.
The goal of the Young Investigator Scholarship is to bring assistance and attention to emerging young professionals in the field of compost research and to spark interest in the future of the composting industry.
Requirements:
- Downloadable Application here
- Project Abstract
- Recommendation from a professor or supervisor
- Email your submission to:
Questions about the application, contact Beth Simone, [email protected], 301-897-2715
Bryan Cameron Impact Scholarship
The Bryan Cameron Education Foundation (“Foundation”) awards four-year, full-tuition, merit-based undergraduate scholarships to exceptional high school students who have demonstrated excellence in academics, extracurricular activities, leadership, and community service. The Cameron Impact Scholar is unique among their high-achieving peers in their desire to make an impact on their communities and in the world at large. Our Scholar aspires to contribute to positive forces for change and plans to tailor their education to that end.
2017 “The Bryan Cameron Impact Scholarship” is available for the U.S. high school students who are planning to enroll in a full-time course of study toward a bachelor’s degree at an accredited four-year U.S. college or university for the full academic year following high school graduation and have maintained a minimum cumulative 3.7-grade point average/4.0 scale or equivalent in their high school studies.
The scholarship award between $20,000 to $50,000 per annum and the deadline of the scholarship is May 26, 2017.
You can get more information through the given link: The Bryan Cameron Impact Scholarship
Here are some fun facts from this year’s RecycleBowl:
We’d love to see New England represented in next year’s competition!
Other School Grant Opportunities
(Collected from NWF Eco-Schools Newsletter)
DonorsChoose.org – Can list on site up to 4 months
eschoolnews.com
http://www.donorschoose.org/about
Helps classrooms and students in need
DoSomething.org – DoSomething.org offers many ways to earn scholarship money.
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EPA & NHDES NEWS
New NHDES Site Tells Us Where To Go … In NH!
Exerpted from the NH DES Greenworks Newsletter – April, 2017
“Just before Earth Day, we launched This Is New Hampshire, a crowdsourcing website where people can upload photos that highlight what they love about the state’s environment – the beauty, the adventure, the relaxation – or what they do to keep it clean. This is an excellent way to create a visual representation of why NHDES does what it does, and it is especially powerful to see it from the public’s perspective.
This Is New Hampshire is not just a user-submitted photo gallery; it’s an interactive map that will tell us where you enjoy the environment. The website uses a Geographic Information System (GIS) application. When users submit their photos, they will include where the photo was taken, and it will be linked to the map. Visitors to the site will be able to zoom in and check out the location and the images simultaneously.”
Click HERE to check it out!
Educator Sarah McGraw, found these 
interesting links on food waste:
US Food Waste Challenge: https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/index.htm
Link to healthy eating and reducing food waste: https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/resources/K12_schools.html
Good infographic poster and link to Smarter Lunchroom Programs: https://www.smarterlunchrooms.org/.
Nice resource! https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/Student_Food_Waste_Audit_FINAL_4-6-2017.pdf
Sarah is off to a week-long “compost college” in Maine near the end of June. We’re sure to hear some “earthy” stories from that adventure! Good luck, Sarah! Here’s the link to the event: https://umaine.edu/mitchellcenter/maine-composts-week/
EPA’s WasteWise encourages organizations and businesses to achieve sustainability in their practices and reduce select industrial wastes. WasteWise is part of EPA’s sustainable materials management efforts, which promote the use and reuse of materials more productively over their entire lifecycles.
To learn more, go to WasteWise Fact Sheet.
Hot Topics From the EPA Region 1 WasteWise and Food Recovery Challenge Email Update:
Local schools address hunger, food waste with Food Recovery Program, 4/3/17
School Lunch Share Tables Fight Food Waste and Hunger, 3/27/17
Some states are trying to halt the practice of share tables, which offer unopened, unwanted food to hungry students.
http://civileats.com/2017/03/27/school-lunch-share-tables-fight-food-waste-and-hunger/
Why (and How!) Your School Should Do a Student Food Waste Audit, 4/26/17 Sustainable America blog
http://www.sustainableamerica.org/blog/why-and-how-your-school-can-do-a-food-waste-audit/
As part of EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, organizations pledge to improve their sustainable food management practices and report their results. The FRC is part of EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program (SMM). SMM seeks to reduce the environmental impact of materials through their entire life cycle. This includes how they are extracted, manufactured, distributed, used, reused, recycled, and disposed.
To learn more, go to: EPA FRC
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ACTIVITY
DIY Gift Boxes and Bows – Just in time for graduation!
Gift box with fitted lid:
http://www.gatheringbeauty.com/2015/02/simple-diy-gift-box.html
Here’s a video on how to make a hinged gift box:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6TUvYCrdvM
Now you’ll need a bow for your box! We found this link on Pinterest:
TINY FORK BOWS
http://www.icreativeideas.com/diy-satin-ribbon-bow-with-a-fork/
1. Take a four-pronged fork with the prongs facing upwards. Hold the ribbon around the right side of the fork. For easy illustrations, we will label one end of the ribbon as A and the other part as B, as shown in the picture.
2.Pass part B over part A at the front of the fork and between the center two prongs of the fork.
3.Pull part B up.
4.Again pass part B between the center two prongs of the fork over the bow and pull it to the left of the fork.
5.Pass part B through the knot and pull to the right of the fork.
6.Pull both ends of the ribbon tight.
7.Slip the ribbon bow from the fork.
8.Trim both ends to your desired length.
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GREEN CALENDAR
05/22/17 – NRRA’s 36th Annual Recycling Conference & Expo Begins – For more information go to our Conference Page.
05/23/17 – School CLUB’s 8th Annual School Recycling Conference (the Conference within the Conference); Registration assistance available for NH schools through NH the Beautiful.
06/05/17 – World Environment Day – To plan your event, visit www.unep.org.
06/08/16 – World Oceans Day – To plan your event, visit www.worldoceansday.org.
We Hope to See You All at the Radisson Manchester on May 23 for the School Recycling Conference!!!
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WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL CLUB UP TO? The NRRA School Recycling CLUB always loves to hear what its members and other schools are doing to recycle and help the environment so we can share it through our newsletter. There are so many different things being done, and you are our best source of information about what is working in your school. It can be a new program, a long-term project that’s been proven over time, a field trip, etc. Always feel free to contact me or submit something and you may see it in the next School News You Can Use! – Gwen Erley, [email protected] 1-603-736-4401, Ext. 19