Cal-Waste is proud to have produced this amazing video with the help of Robert Solari and children from our local school district. Educating our future recyclers is key to our mission.
RECYCLE EDUCATION
Our Vision
Developing the next generation of environmentally-aware and responsible citizens to ensure a sustainable future where environmental choices drive the success of individuals, schools, and businesses within our communities.
Each year, Cal-Waste connects over 130,000 students and their families with the values of recycling and sustainability through classroom experience, school assemblies, virtual learning, Material Recovery Facility tours and community events.
The Classroom Experience:
Life Long Learning
Our Recycle Education Program focuses on student enrichment in environmental science and community citizenship, allowing students to discover they can make a difference in their world.
School programs seek to empower students by increasing their knowledge and engaging students in active learning experiences. Key concepts are the value of conserving natural resources, caring for our environment cultivate collaboration, and seeking out new scientific methods to divert waste from the landfills tackling the pressing environmental challenges of the century.
The Cal-Waste Recycle Education Program is designed for Prekindergarten through Twelfth Grade, containing lessons and activities aimed to share with students how to become better environmental citizens. The program contents share a common theme that everyone has an active role to play in dealing with waste issues, from reducing, to reusing, to recycling, and proper disposal.
Each program session includes a chapter summary defining clear objectives, outline of concepts and skills addressed, list of materials provided, lesson procedure, and supplemental activities. All program sessions are designed to easily integrate into your curriculum and apply to a variety of subject matter areas.
In each session, students will use their core academic skills to demonstrate their understanding of the Recycle Education Program contents. Students will learn about natural resources, Material Recovery Facilities (MRF), landfills, waste-to-energy plants, and the role each plays in working towards a more sustainable environment. Students will take part in discussions about the various methods of managing waste streams, and they will explore the ways in which people, as individuals, can have a positive impact on reducing waste and its effects on the environment. Each student will learn how fun and easy it can be to help the environment through a variety of creative activities.
During the development of this program, teachers have contributed their ideas and tested the effectiveness of the lessons in classrooms and afterschool workshops. Their early assistance and ongoing feedback help ensure the curriculum’s continuing integrity.
As members of the communities we serve, we believe in school involvement, and we welcome the opportunity to support your educational endeavors. Click here to schedule an appointment today.
Academic Standards
Curriculum designed to align with standards-based instruction, grade level Next Generation Science Standards, STEAM centered activities (focus, detail, discovery, application, presentation, link) and Arts Integration.
Essential Questions
- What is recycling?
- Why should we recycle?
- How does recycling to impact our planet?
- In what way can I make a difference?
- How can we be an influencer for a sustainable world?
- When will we know our environment is safe and sustainable?
PreK & Kindergarten
Recognizing basic recycling materials, introducing the idea of our environment, making choices, where to place your recycling.
First & Second Grades
The WHAT, HOW, and WHYS of recycling.
Third & Fourth Grades
Dispelling myths regarding recycling, understand the costs of not recycling, and forging the decision to make less trash. Connect sustainable living to study of indigenous peoples, promoting solution focused critical thinking to gain a more sustainable future.
Fifth & Sixth Grades
Reveal the relationship between our actions and our environment by exploring the true cost of not recycling. Understand the challenges of plastic in our environment, promoting critical and creative thinking to explore solutions to manage plastic to benefit humans, wildlife, and environment.
Seventh & Eighth Grades
Advance the skills and habits students will use throughout their lives to understand and act on environmental issue. Recognize the challenges product packaging places on our environment and explore solutions from manufacturer to consumer. Connect recycling and sustainable living to current curriculum, reinforcing the notion that everyone can and should make a difference in our world.
Ninth through Twelfth
Customized programs to meet individual class needs including Food/Organic Waste recycling for agriculture departments, technology of recycling for engineering, and laws, mandates, and civic responsibility regarding recycling and our environment for government /leadership classes.
Quick Tips
Check out some of these Quick Tip Videos that we provide to schools in our Recycling Education Program. This is just a small sample of the library of videos we use in classrooms.
Teacher, Staff, and Administrator Reviews of the Recycle Education Program
“Thank you so much for the wonderful lessons you provided. The students loved having you join us on Zoom. I had them write thank you letters. I’ve been trying to decide how best to get the letters to you.”
Susan Hugues, Greer Elementary
“Thank you so much for your amazing recycling lessons! We really enjoyed them and learned a lot from you. Your videos were professional, and I loved how engaged you kept the kids with hand motions and signals. Your tie-ins to Native Americans and the environment were spot on and it was awesome to be able to have such thoughtful, well planned activities that we were able to offer as extra credit! You really did an awesome job! Thank you for making this valuable program available to us and our students!”
Krista Dawley, River Oaks School
“Thank you so much for the awesome virtual field trip to the Cal-Waste recycling center. My students had a great time! As always, we all learn so much. For example, the message hit home with my kiddos pertaining to the turtles and the plastic bag dangers. Your reindeer outfit was a hit! Excellent presentation. Enjoy the holidays with your family and stay safe.”
Leticia Zamora, Valley Oaks Elementary
“Awesome! Thanks so much Cal-Waste Food Waste Recycle Team. You did a great job. You always do…”
Tyrone Armstrong, SUSD Maintenance and Operations
“We have had a chance to view your videos for the Virtual Recycle Education program and you did a wonderful job! We are excited to participate in the program again this year.”
Fred Sheldon, Lake Canyon School
“Cal Waste is so awesome. Thank you so much for all of your support of our students!”
Mandy Garner, AG/FFA Chair, Liberty Ranch High School
“We deeply appreciate all your efforts supporting environmental stewardship including the Recycle Education program at Galt Schools”
John Durant, Service Learning Coordinator GJUESD
“Our kiddos were excited to learn how to make a positive impact for our planet!”
Carol Bonnano, Valley Oaks School