CVWMA offers educational programs for all ages. We can work with you to create a program for your class or club. We also offer the pre-planned programs below. Click the orange button in each section to request a program.
Appropriate for early elementary learners, this program uses storytelling to inform, educate, and highlight — and advocate for — more sustainable practices and characteristics of environmental stewardship. Stories may be paired with an enrichment activity (ex: game, video, craft), take-home handouts and giveaways. This program ranges from 30-75 minutes, depending on the group.
Stories include:
- “The Mess That We Made” by Michelle Lord, Julia Blattman
- “The Day the Trash Came Out to Play” by David M. Beadle
- “Where does the Garbage Go?” by Paul Showers, Randy Chewning
- “Michael Recycle” by Ellie Bethel, Alexandra Colombo
- “Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug” by Ellie Bethel, Alexandra Colombo
- “Rascal & Shady Recycle & Reuse” by Beth Starr
- “Rigsby” by Jenny Bingham
- “Where Do Recyclables Go?” by Sabbithry Persad
Appropriate for upper elementary learners. Students will learn how reducing, reusing and recycling right can have a positive impact on our environment. Students will learn that littering and recycling incorrectly leads to recycled items being thrown into the landfill instead of being made into new things. Students will understand that this is a national issue in recycling, and they have a role in making sure recyclables are recycled. This program ranges from 30 -75 minutes, depending on the group.
- Don’t be a Litterbug – after investigating the effects of littering, students will portray various types of “litterbugs” and suggest ways to changing littering habits
- Litter Lyrics – students will investigate how litter negatively affects communities and create songs to advocate for better environmental practices
- Trash into Treasure – students will use their creativity and imagination to create recycled and repurposed art as a fun way to reduce waste and reuse trash
- Packing a Litterless Lunch – students will investigate ways to reduce waste by collaborating to prepare zero-waste lunches as an alternative to single-use plastics
Appropriate for middle school learners. Students will learn that humans can have positive or negative impacts on the earth’s environment and will explore how reducing, reusing, and recycling can conserve natural resources and increase overall quality of life. Students will be able to identify where their trash goes and what happens to the things they recycle. This program includes a lesson and an activity that focuses on the importance of managing waste responsibly and creating sustainable strategies. This program ranges from 45-75 minutes.
Activities include:
Appropriate for middle and high schoolers. Students will explore the basic concepts of reduce, reuse, and recycling and their complex effects on the environment and public policy decisions. Students will be able to identify what is recyclable, how contamination in the recycling stream negatively affects the recyclability of items, and the resulting impact on the environment. This program includes a lesson and an activity that reinforce the themes of solid waste management and promoting sustainable practices.
Activities include:
- What’s in My Community – students will be able to recognize the need for community collaboration in finding solid waste solutions by working cooperatively to solve a problem as residents of ABC City
- Decomposition Timeline – students will determine how long it takes different types of material to decompose if they were to be dumped into a landfill and be able to discuss the implications and influence this has on our ecosystems.
- The Recycling Loop Journey – Students will be able to describe the movement of materials from start to finish as they journey through a simulated recycling loop.
Appropriate for elementary, middle, and high school learners, this pep-rally themed school assembly is designed to be fun, interactive and engaging. With a mix of games, trivia and educational information about themes related to solid waste management, this program highlights the importance of waste reduction and environmental stewardship. A mascot appearance may be included, depending on availability. This program lasts 45-60 minutes.
CVWMA’s Education and Outreach Assistant provides interactive reduce, reuse, recycle education programs for youth in afterschool clubs, afterschool programs, 4-H groups, camps, community organizations, etc.
CVWMA ‘s Education and Outreach Assistant offers a free program that explores how preschool students can reduce, reuse, and recycle right and have an impact on the environment. Children will learn how to correctly sort recycling and will understand that they can reduce and reuse resources to create less waste and have a positive impact on their environment. This program lasts 20-30 minutes and may include a story time and a post-activity.