1998 Trash Cutter Award Program Case Studies

City of Eureka: Rural Waste Reduction

• Program Description
• Program Summary
• Costs
• Benefits
• Contact

Program Description

Fourth graders in the City of Eureka are learning all about reducing waste, thanks to the commitment of local high school students who produce lessons on waste reduction, using puppetry and skits. The main themes of the School Waste Education Project focus on buying smart to reduce waste and reusing waste materials. The program's success has come from the basic approach of peers teaching peers. The high school students act as positive role models for the fourth graders, encouraging them to reuse waste in the hope of reducing the amount of garbage in local landfills.

Program Summary

The Eureka High Waste Prevention Outreach Team provides an educational demonstration program for all district fourth grade classes (about 500 students). For this project, the team created and performed a skit for all fourth grade classes on how to pack a trash free lunch and how to avoid "buying garbage." The team held a contest to name the puppet which stars in the skit. The winner  received a trash free reusable lunch kit, and his class received a reusable party box, complete with an ice cream and cake "trash free" party. The team offered each class a hands-on follow up activity of papermaking, vermiculture, or "recycled" art. Students secured funds to assemble papermaking and vermiculture kits which were used in the demonstrations, and then left with the class for future use. One class was taken on a field trip to the local Safeway to demonstrate how purchasing choices effect the amount of garbage produced. In addition, this year's team created and produced a video of their entire program. They also performed their skit and group activities at the Redwood Environmental Education Fair.

For this innovative project, the students had to thoroughly research their topic; write, rehearse and perform their skit; contact teachers and principals at nine schools to arrange classroom visits; write proposals for funding, seek potential support, and apply for funds; purchase materials and assemble kits and accompanying educational materials; write a script and arrange for videotaping and editing; meet regularly with teacher, advisor, and staff to report on their project.

Costs

Programs were funded through the City of Eureka, Humboldt County, City Garbage Company, Eureka High School GATE program, and Humboldt Area Foundation. The $3,000.00 funding paid for a person to organize and supervise the students who were the core of the program.

Benefits

Not only did team members have to educate themselves to become thoroughly knowledgeable about all aspects of waste prevention, each of the fourth graders they worked with took home new information and ideas to share with their families. By targeting every fourth grade class every year, the program reaches every student in the district while helping fourth grade teachers to become experts in waste prevention, and to learn new ways to incorporate these concepts into every day life at school.

For Further Information Contact:

City of Eureka
531 K Street
Eureka, CA  95501
(707) 441-4163