Pikeville High Panther PRIDE Club promotes recycling
December 2, 2011 by clackey
For educating their community about why and how to recycle, the Pikeville High School Panther PRIDE Club has earned southern and eastern Kentucky’s PRIDE Environmental Education Project of the Month Award.
“Recycling is an easy way for anyone to help our environment and economy, and the Panther PRIDE Club found ways to share that message with their entire community,” said PRIDE’s Mark Davis. “I commend the students and their sponsor, Kelly Scott, for coordinating such a comprehensive outreach campaign. There’s no doubt they inspired others to take up recycling.”
“It’s wonderful to imagine how they will use this experience to lead more positive changes in the future,” Davis added. “They are preparing to be strong leaders.”
The PRIDE Club, which has 90 members in grades 7-12, spent months planning a local celebration of America Recycles Day, which is sponsored annually on Nov. 15 by Keep America Beautiful. The club led four activities that promoted recycling.
First, they arranged for Pikeville Mayor Frank Justice and Pike County Judge-Executive Wayne Rutherford to sign a proclamation supporting America Recycles Day and recycling efforts in Pikeville and Pike County.
Next, club members and AP Environmental Science students visited Pikeville Elementary School to teach a lesson on recycling for all 5th and 6th graders.
Then, the club president, Taryn Cantrell, and the sponsor, Kelly Scott, spoke to the public through interviews on the radio stations of East Kentucky Broadcasting. They shared with the audiences the importance of recycling, as well as how and where to recycle locally.
Finally, from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Nov. 15, the PRIDE Club set up information booths at Food City and Velocity Market. The students handed out local recycling information and promotional items from America Recycles Day, Pike County Solid Waste and PRIDE.
“From the event at the elementary school and the event in the evening, our students made contact with 800 to 1,000 people in hopes of supporting recycling in Pikeville and Pike County,” said Scott, who is a science teacher.
Scott thanked these organizations for helping make the project possible: City of Pikeville PRIDE Program, Pike County PRIDE Program, Pike County Solid Waste, Clean Cut Tree Services, Food City, Velocity Market and East Kentucky Broadcasting.
The PRIDE Environmental Education Project of the Month program rewards creative, effective ways of promoting environment awareness and stewardship.
“We give awards to thank people and to showcase the great things going on in our region, so please contact us if you want to nominate a person, school, business or organization that is helping our environment or inspiring others to care for nature,” Davis said. “Our toll-free number is 888-577-4339.” To submit a nomination form, visit the nominate site.
Learn more about why and how to recycle at PRIDE’s recycling web site.
You can recycle at drop-off locations across Pike County. To learn more, please call Kevin Tackett at the Pike County Recycling Center at 631-0902 or call the Pike County Solid Waste Office at 432-6245.
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