Sturgis sixth grader Bennett Gordon recently read a statistic that surprised, and disappointed, him: only about 35% of people recycle, even though 94% of Americans say they support recycling. So, Bennett, who has been a 4-H member for five years, is on a mission to encourage others – especially students – to take action and begin recycling.
This winter, Bennett began his efforts by collecting gently used shoes at his middle school for the Soles 4 Souls program which sends the shoes to disaster relief areas and developing countries. Bennett shared information about the program in his school announcements and collected over 100 pairs in one month. County 4-H offices across South Dakota are collecting shoes for the program, as well! (To donate, contact a local 4-H youth or 4-H program advisor.
The Essay
To continue raising awareness for recycling, Bennett is launching an essay contest for South Dakota students in fourth through sixth grades. Essays should address the topic:
“How I can make the world a better place through recycling.”
Bennett hopes that by thinking about the topic of recycling, more students and their families will be committed to recycling within their home and communities.
Essays should include:
- the student’s name
- grade in school
- school name, teachers name, school’s address.
Essays should be a minimum of 400 words.
Mail to: Recycle: There is no Planet B, 11734 Weisman Road, Whitewood, SD 57793 by Monday, April 22, 2019 (Earth Day).
One winner will be selected and will receive a $100 Amazon gift card.
To learn more about recycling programs, follow Bennett on his Facebook page named “Recycle: There is no planet B.” He plans to share news items and links to various recycling efforts.