Sustainability Youth Education Programs

Recycling Program

CMHA Students tour Lorain County’s Recycling/Landfill Facility

On Thursday, June 25, 2009 CMHA’s Energy Group took the Generation Success: Teens Achieving Greatness (GS:TAG) students on a tour of the Lorain County Recycling/Landfill Facility located in Oberlin, Ohio.

The goal of this tour was to create awareness on how they can do their part to ensure future generations will benefit from our earth’s dwindling natural resources.

“Today I learned that recycling is important and it’s something that I can do to make a difference.” said Brittany Church, CMHA resident and GS:TAG student. “And to see where all our trash goes into the landfill had a big impact on me.”

The GS:TAG program is a Youth Leadership Academy developed for high school students to build a strong work ethic, leadership and educational skills and to provide real life experience working in an office environment. Twenty GS:TAG students attended the tour where they witnessed two very different processes. The materials that came into the recycling facility were being sorted by people and by machines. Cans, bottles, paper, and plastics were sorted and baled for reuse. Those same materials that people did not choose to recycle were hauled atop a tall pile of trash to be buried in the landfill.

“The main goal today was to have fun. Secondly, I hope that some of the information stuck with the students. I want the kids to take away with them that recycling is important. In 10-15 years if things continue how they are now, we will soon run out of landfill space, and then we are going to have big problems,” said Bruce Harris, Education Coordinator at Lorain County Recycling Facility.

RECYCLING AT THE ZOO

CMHA and the Girl Scouts go to the Cleveland Zoo to learn about recycling

On Monday, June 29, 2009, CMHA and the Girls Scouts took a field trip to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Both the zoo and CMHA’s Energy Conservation/Sustainability Department share a similar mission that focuses on conserving the natural world around us. The zoo is not only concerned about the lives of the plants and animals exhibited, but also the natural resources used every day.

Scouts from CMHA’s Garden Valley and Woodhill Estates are highlighting recycling as one of the merit areas that they are working on for 2009. The zoo was a perfect, enjoyable trip for the students, combined with an educational atmosphere.

“The zoo was a lot of fun and I learned what it means to not just throw things away, but to recycle and reuse,” said Shayla Pettway from the Garden Valley Girl Scout Troop.

Nancy Hughes, Educational Director for the Cleveland Zoo explained the importance of recycling in their everyday work environment. She also concentrated on the zoo’s program for recycling cans, bottles, paper, cell phones, and ink cartridges.

“Overall I think it was a very positive learning experience for both the kids and the adults,” said Larry Davis, CMHA Sustainability Manager. “It was an informative session that held the kids attention. They walked away knowing a lot more about recycling.”

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