13 and up |
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Teens Leading By Example |
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Noreen Livoit
4/29/2009
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Sometimes, the best and most inspirational leader is not an adult with loads of experience, but a teenager who is passionate about his or her cause. These years are perfect to allow your kids to use their knowledge about going green to inspire others – both younger and older – to treat the planet with respect.
Although Janet Lincoln was introduced to the concept of being eco-friendly in college, she was raised with a "waste not, want not" mentality throughout her childhood. "My mother was thrifty in that she would reuse plastic containers for storage and accept hand-me-down clothing for the family," she says. "When I attended college, recycling became the ‘in thing’ to do." Later, both she and her husband, Geoffrey, worked as recycling coordinators, educating schools, businesses and local residents about recycling and composting.
Currently, as a middle-school teacher in the Central Dauphin school district, Lincoln participates in programs to encourage her students to recycle, teaching them what can and cannot go into the recycling bins. She believes there are many roles that kids 13 and older can take to encourage others to go green.
"Through a civic organization, sponsor a highway clean-up," she says. "Assemble a recycling club where you and your classmates can visit local elementary schools to educate other children about ‘green’ activities through skits, stories, music and even videos." She also suggests students begin a recycling program in their school through an association such as the National Honor Society. The time they spend working on the program can count toward their volunteer service hours.
If they’re looking for opportunities to get involved outside of school, Lincoln suggests contacting the local 4-H group to ask about recycling aluminum cans at fairs around the area. "The proceeds from the collected aluminum can pay for travel expenses to future fairs and to the organization itself," she says. "Extend the collection of aluminum cans to schools, churches and recreational facilities. Money earned from collected cans can fund school or church activities, as well as recreational equipment."
This age group can also be responsible for composting and growing their own eco-friendly plants. Try Zoysia grass for the lawn, says Lincoln, since it needs to be mowed less frequently than regular grass and grows so densely that weeds can’t sprout, therefore eliminating the need for chemicals. Or, she says, encourage kids to plant a garden of perennials, using compost matter to make natural fertilizer.
Armed with this knowledge, kids can be responsible for cutting down on the waste they personally make, as well. Keep them accountable for turning off lights or electronic devices when not in use, to use less water when brushing their teeth and to take shorter showers. Also, says Lincoln, "Buy used goods whenever you can. And for those of you who think it is beneath your dignity to wear used clothing, think of it as an inheritance from your non-family members!"
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