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Myers Elementary is going green.

A new recycling program called the Litter Free School Zone program is set to start this year at the Bellwoood-Antis elementary school. The goal is to educate students on the importance of protecting the environment while working with members of the community to provide opportunities for students to  take ownership of the space around them.

Ninety schools currently take part in this program. It was created by the group Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

Myers Principal Matthew Stinson says this project is important because “starting an environmental/conservation club at Myers is a great way to get students energized about the importance of taking care of the Earth, becoming responsible citizens and helping their community. Throughout this process, they will learn about some of the most important issues facing the world in the 21st century.”

Mr. Stinson was inspired by his time teaching at Pleasant Valley Elementary, which had also implemented this program.

“I noticed that students took ownership of the area surrounding our school, our playgrounds, and our classrooms,” he said.

When he came to Myers Elementary last year, he noticed that first grade teacher Mr. Dave Plummer had already started a similar project with his classroom. Last year Myers was recognized as a “litter free school.” As a part of the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful initiative, Mr. Plummer recently had a trash pick-up event.

The Litter Free School Zone project has several expectations, including planning two school improvement projects per year and events like cleanups and beautification events.

 Mr. Stinson said the ideal outcome of this project would be that “students and advisors can establish projects that can be sustained year after year.”  An outdoor classroom is also potentially in the works at Myers. 

Myers may work with the the DEP ( Department of Environmental Protection) and EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency), which will aid in providing ideas and develop projects that help to increase awareness to the positive impact they will make on their communities.

“We are responsible for keeping our communities clean and beautiful,” Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful president Shannon Reiter said in a release. “This program provides a fun and easy way for students to gain respect for the environment and the world around them while developing a school-wide stewardship ethic.”