It's Earth Day!

It's Earth Day!
Kids all across the country are protecting the planet by starting Earth-friendly projects and environment clubs in their schools and communities
By Dante A. Ciampaglia April 21 , 2009



Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22! It's a day for everyone to celebrate the planet and come up with ways to protect it.

But protecting the environment is a big job. It takes hardwork and dedication all year long. And one group of people knows this better than most: Kids.

In schools and communities all over America, young people are coming up with ways to improve our environment. Many schools across the country have taken up the challenge to clean up the planet. And they're doing it most of the year.

Students at 14-year-old Kid Reporter Elizabeth Conway's school, Hillside Middle School in New Hampshire, have set up a recycling committee to get more people to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

One thing the committee has done is enforce a rule that teachers must turn off all computers, lights, and other electronic devices once the school day is over. The students have also placed recycling bins in their cafeteria for aluminum cans and plastic water bottles. They collect paper and cardboard for recycling, and they have placed energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs in all the school's lighting fixtures.

Kid Reporter Allie Sakowicz, 13, reports that recycling is also an important part of students' ‘green' efforts at her school, Main South High School in Illinois.

She says that students have made signs that explain why it's important to recycle and what can and cannot be recycled. These signs are placed above recycling bins that are located in every classroom in the school.

Main South also has an Ecology Club that is committed to making the school more eco-friendly and telling people that they can make a difference in protecting the planet."

Members of the Eco Club have participated in forest cleanups, gone to state parks to learn about different types of wildlife, and participated in roadside trash pickups," Allie says. "They even set up booths at multiple community events to help educate younger people about why helping the environment is so important."

The students of Brunswick Acres Elementary School in New Jersey are also focused on getting the word out about what other kids and schools can do to protect the planet.

10-year-old Kid Reporter Gopa Praturi attends Brunswick Acres and says that every student follows some eco guidelines. Using less paper, decreasing waste, and keeping their school grounds clean are just some of the things they do. The school has also started a Tulip Garden to teach kids pro-environment habits.

Students, teachers, and parents are also working together at Brunswick Acres to make some big green dreams a reality. For example, they want to double their recycling efforts and have energy-efficient solar panels mounted on the school's roof. They also want to lead other schools down a green path."

If we got really good at recycling, for example, the school could write all this down and send it to other schools to show them what we have accomplished," Brunswick Acres Principal Joseph Anzek told Gopa. "It will be like challenging them—and we'll be expecting them to challenge us back!"

Kids across the country are working hard to clean up the planet every day of the year.It might seem like a big job. But it's something that everyone can do, either in their school or their community, with a little creativity and determination.

If you want to be a part of the green movement, here are some tips on starting your own environment club at your school that 11-year-old Kid Reporter Alexis Wiseman learned from the Collegiate School's Collegiate with the Environment Naturally in Check (CENIC) environment club in New York City:

• Tips for starting your own environment club
  Start small. A group of five committed people is a good start. If you do a project really well, more people will want to join.
• Create a list of goals. What do you want your work to accomplish?
• Call local environmental groups to see how you can get help with current projects.
• Make sure everyone has a job.
• Seek help from teachers as advisers, and make sure the school building facility manager is onboard.

Tips for success

• Stay motivated by staying focused on the positive changes you are making.
• Stress determination. This attitude is critical for working through challenges.
• Focus on organization. It is important that people work together.
• Partner with other club members, clubs, and companies to get things done.

Scholastic News Kid Reporters are covering Earth Day events and green projects in their communities across America. Check out their special Earth Day report, in which you'll find videos, articles, and other resources to spark you to take environmental action!

Find out what kids like you think about the environment by reading the Kids Environmental Report Card!

You can also celebrate Earth Day by sending Tree-Free eCards and by using a special letter-writing tool to let your elected officials and the media know what you think about the environment.

Now, post
1. One interesting fact you learned about Earth day is?
2. How is Earth day different from other holidays we know?
3. What book, story, or movie does this article remind you of?
4. What did you already know that helped you understand his article?