For a chance at Disney prize, North students are going green

POLAND

Poland North Elementary students are trying to minimize the community’s ecological footprint with recycling as they compete in the Disney Planet Challenge.

The national competition is open to all fourth- thru sixth-grade students and their teachers, and is being used as a fun and interactive way to identify and solve environmental issues within communities.

This year, North fourth-graders brainstormed with teachers, parent volunteers, Principal Mike Masucci and Peggy Flynn of the Mahoning County Green Team to create slogans and ideas to combat the recycling issues after learning that recycling was down in their community. They devised several plans to help raise awareness and promote change and are carrying them out for a chance to win a Grand Prize Trip to Disney World.

Students passed out reusable mugs to Dunkin Donuts customers to encourage coffee drinkers to forgo styrofoam cups. They collected leftover branded material from National City Bank when PNC Bank took over and made sure it was disposed of properly.

To emphasize and educate the community of the importance of ecological footprints, students are secretly watched select residents’ recycling habits. Before the contest’s February deadline, the students will pick a family to receive an “extreme makeover” and will receive energy efficient light bulbs and in-home recycling tips.

Masucci said he believes that participating in challenge will provide lessons that the children can carry on in their lives.