Ms. Collier is a 7th grade teacher from Indiana who said, “I think during this time period in their lives (teenage years) students can be entitled and unappreciative. Philanthropy helps them see beyond themselves.” 

With the help of a Learning to Give mini-grant, 30 students were able to lead 500+ of their peers in a recycling project. After learning about waste and the power of recycling via the lesson Collective Compromise in the unit Global Garbage, Ms. Collier’s students completed the service-learning project Reduce Reuse and Recycle.  

“Students have enjoyed this, and I have others asking if they can join me,” said Ms. Collier. “This has given them a sense of pride because they got to do something others don’t, and it helps to make them aware of the amount of trash we have at our school.”  

For the project, students purchased a set of recycling bins and set up days and times for collections. They organized, monitored, and followed through to make recycling a priority at their school.  

“This is a project that we hope will be able to continue from year to year!”