Contests

Together the schools saved 26.1 BTUs of energy, 1,392 gallons of gasoline and 2.96 tons of bauxite. They eliminated 2.96 tons of caustic red mud from being produced during aluminum manufacturing. Recycling one ton of cans is equivalent to running electricity for ten years in one home, so the students recycled enough cans to run the electricity for 5.9 years.

Remember this was just three schools for one month. Think of what we could save if more schools recycled ten months of the year. Click here to view past Recycling Drive Participants.

“We Got Plans For Your Cans”
Prizes List

District Provides:

• Up to 10 cardboard collection containers that the school may keep to continue can collection.
• Roll of plastic bags for containers
• DVD titled What’s One Can? The DVD is about aluminum can recycling from Novelis and Busch Gardens.
• Posters announcing collection.

Organize the Can Drive By:

• Determining how your schools internal can recycling contest will operate.
• Setting up can recycling bins in the classrooms or other convenient locations.
• Hanging up posters in hallways and classrooms and putting up announcement in front of the school.
• Sending home announcement to parents.
• Reading the can drive progress on the morning announcements.
• Keeping track of number of cans or bags that students bring from home.

What to do with the Cans?

• Recycle them at home.
• Take the bags to a scrap metal recycler and get cash back for the cans for class treat.
• Donate them to a local a fire department that collects cans for burned children.
• If you have over ten bags and no one to transport them either ask your city service center if they could pick them up, it counts towards their report card or contact Kathleen.
• Need help, call Kathleen at 216-443-3731.

Sponsored by Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District and Novelis

Earth Day Poster Contest, January
The contest is to honor Earth Day through artwork. It is opened to individuals and classrooms of first through eighth grade students. The theme for 2007 will be revealed. Artwork must be submitted on 8.5"x11" white paper in full color and mailed flat. Each entry should include the artist's name, grade, teacher or group leader, school or group name and address. Entries will be judged by grade level. Grade level winners are featured on an Earth Day Calendar. Click here to view the 2007 contest winners.

Kierra Maggit relaxes on the bench that was donated on her behalf to Randallwood Middle School. She was Cuyahoga County's first statewide Earth Day Poster Contest Winner in 2004.

Zero Waste Challenge, April
A “Zero Waste” School contender will attempt to make the least amount of waste during lunch on their challenge day. This a great project for a student council, environmental club or PTA to organize and monitor. The winning school will become the “Zero Waste” title holder for the year and is awarded recycled milk jug bench. The challenge is held on one day chosen by the school on or before April 18, 2008.

All schools participating will receive up to 25 “Zero Waste” lunch boxes to be distributed to organizers or students who set a good example. Schedule the Education Specialist to visit during lunch to hand out small prizes for any student with a waste free lunch.   

Students are demonstrating what can be packed to make a zero waste lunch.

Zero Waste Challenger Title Holders

• 2007 Birchwood School, Cleveland
• 2006 Birchwood School, Cleveland
• 2005 Scranton Elementary, Cleveland
• 2003 Saint Richards, North Olmsted
• 2002 Bethany Lutheran School, Cleveland
  

Zero Waste Challenge Results for 2007
There were amazing efforts by students this year in striving for “zero waste.” Six schools competed with a total of 1,331students. This was the fifth year of the challenge and a school has achieved the lowest percentage of waste generated at lunch to date. The students practiced for two weeks to achieve this final number. The ultimate goal is zero waste, and hopefully all the participating students and their parents will continue to plan and pack waste free lunches. 

Poetree Contest, May
Discover the poet in your students with poetry written about trees. The contest is for Cuyahoga County kindergarten to twelfth grade students. The tree poem must be written on single side of letter-sized paper. Drawings are allowed. On back of entry, student's name, address, school and grade is required. Each grade level winner will be awarded tree related prizes. All participates will receive a certification of participation. Entries due by Arbor Day, May 2, 2008 with winners announced and prizes awarded in May. Click to view the 2007 and 2006 contest winners.

Special Programs

This program is worth putting on your calendar every year. Your class or group could partner with a local garden club or master gardener to plant pride and help keep kids from littering.

In 2005, 87 Oak, Wild Black Cherry and Seviceberry seedlings were planted by 11 schools.

In 2006, 128 Northern pecan, Sugar maple and White flowering dogwood seedlings were planted by 16 schools.

In 2007, 160 Black Walnut, Red Mulberry and American Witch hazel seedlings along with over 800 summer blooming bulbs of Gladiolus, Oxalis, Lilies and Anemones were planted by 21 schools and community groups.

Thanks to the following schools for greening and beautifying their neighborhood: Birchwood School, Beaumont School, Calvary Community School, Cuyahoga Heights Elementary, Dunham Elementary, Forest Hill School, Garrett Morgan High School, Green Valley Elementary, Henry Johnson Center, Hope Academy, Louise May Alcott, Parkview Elementary, Pleasant Valley Elementary, Marcus Garvey Academy, North Royalton High School, Nordonia Middle School, St. Adalbert School, Berea, St. Thomas Aquinas, Shaker Lakes Nature Center, West Park Community School and Zeller Elementary.

Click here for more information.

Earth Day Activities and Projects