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JANUARY 2020

A Note from Jane


Happy 2020!

Each new year, we have the chance to both celebrate past successes and start a clean slate to strive toward more effective environmental education.

We hope you will share your plans and subsequent success stories with us as the year unfolds.

Jane Hiller
Education Director, Sonoco Recycling

2019 Success Stories

EEASC Collaborations

The networking and comradery of EEASC (Environmental Education Association of SC) makes us all more effective:
  • Midlands EEASC members host a Green Messaging Table each month during the Columbia Art Center’s First Thursday “Worlds of Creativity” Event. On December 5, Jane Hiller of Sonoco Recycling, and Benjamin Wildt of Columbia Water (pictured below center back) helped children make upcycled Winter Solstice lanterns to shine during our darkest time of the year. Lanterns were made from used cardboard tubes, used dryer sheets and glow bracelets.
  • EEASC member Richenda Batson recently researched companies that pay schools for recycling ink and toner cartridges. Read about her choice.
  • EEASC member Heather Reit shared the inspirational video “Liter of Light” and a great STEM project called “The Hero's Journey HyperDoc: Solar Energy
  • EEASC member Mary Hite of Lexington SC Storm Water Consortium (pictured below right) teamed up with Jane Hiller of Sonoco Recycling to teach 30 SC Girl Scout staff members how to reuse plastic grocery bags to make plarn (plastic bag yarn) projects.
  • Ellison Robinson, a Midlands Tech Instructor, shared this article about schools being built from recycled plastic bricks.
  • The Girl Scouts of SC (Mountains to Midlands) have a new-to-them camping tent, compliments of EEASC member Todd Beasley. Let’s follow Todd’s example and reach out to our environmental education community to pass along wonderful things we no longer need.

Champions of the Environment

SC DHEC’s Champions of the Environment awards grant up to $2,500 to K-12 schools helping to protect the natural world and boost environmental awareness. Thanks to Champions Coordinator, Amanda Ley, for years of leadership on this project.

Read about this year’s ten winners.

Wood Magic Forest Fair recently celebrated 20 years of teaching students and teachers about sustainable forestry. In that time, the program has reached over 30,000 students and over 5,000 teachers and other adults.

Kudos to past and present members of the SC Forestry Commission staff. And a special shout-out to current SCFC education team members, Matt Schnabel and Beth Foley, who are also EEASC members, Project Learning Tree leaders and SC Green Step mentors. What a difference this team makes in our state!

What's Next? 

Citizen Science 

Help your students contribute data to Cocorahs for weather monitoring. Our state climatologists use this data to determine very localized flood impacts in South Carolina.

Contests

"Litter Trashes Everyone” Poster Contest for K-5 Students
The annual Litter Trashes Everyone poster contest is free to any class or school. PalmettoPride will mail the official contest paper and a return envelope. Your school could be selected as one of four regional winners or the state winner and win cash prizes for the student and the school. Any educator in South Carolina can sign up today by visiting this link.

“Envirothon Competition” for High School Students
High schools are encouraged to form teams for Envirothon 2020.
The 2020 topic is Water Resource Management: Local Control and Local Solutions.

The coaches' training is Saturday, February 1, 2020
Click here to register online.
The competition will be held Friday, April 24, 2020
Team Registration: $175*

*Lexington County high school teams can be sponsored by the Lexington Soil and Water Conservation District.
Contact: jolcswcd@gmail.com
*Richland County high school teams can be sponsored by the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District.
Click here for competition information.

“Endangered Species Art Contest” for College Students
College students are invited to participate in an art contest featuring endangered species. 

Gleaner Request 

DNR educators are collecting empty water bottles with lids for an upcoming project. Contact Brook Myres if you have some to donate.

Educator Opportunity 

Chenille Williams, EEASC member and Richland County Storm Water Educator, encourages experienced educators (both formal and informal) to join the Science Friday Educator Collaborative. It's a paid, fully-remote, short-term opportunity to author and share engaging approaches to STEM (and STEAM) education with a national audience.

All resources produced by program participants will be made freely available to the public at www.sciencefriday.com, promoted along with educator bios on Science Friday national radio program and be syndicated by their resource distribution partners.

Full program information and application details. Applications are due January 12, 2020!

Events in January

 
JANUARY 1-30
Green Step mentors are asked to send a list of projects for each school they are mentoring for the award year 2020.

Green Step school leaders are asked to start submitting pictures with detailed captions (or videos) showing students learning, doing and teaching others for each of their projects to jane.hiller@sonoco.com.

Be sure to copy your mentor on the email as well.
 

JANUARY - APRIL
Every Kid Outdoors

Congaree National Park is hosting the 4th Annual “Every Kid Outdoors” program which brings 4th-grade students from Title 1 schools in several surrounding counties to experience Congaree National Park. Volunteers are needed.

Contact: Jon Manchester.
 

Plan Ahead


FEBRUARY 3
Nomination deadline for 2020 Richland County Conservation Teacher of the Year.

Details.  

 

FEBRUARY 3
Application deadline
Conservation Education Mini-Grants to support environmental projects at Richland County schools with up to $1,000.

Details.
 

MARCH 2-6
Heathwood Hall Episcopal School is seeking real world experiences (job shadowing and internships) for 9th-12th grade students during “Winterim,” the first week of March 2020. Contact Donnie Bain if you’re willing to have a student (or students) shadow your office, or if you have a student project that would provide real-world experience.
 

APRIL 25
50th Anniversary of Earth Day Celebration
Green Step Schools and mentors may apply to participate at an activity table by contacting Jane Hiller.

Time: 9:00a.m. - 1:00p.m.
Location: Columbia Art Museum
 

APRIL 28
Richland Recycles Education Day
For 4th and 5th grade students.

Time: 9:00a.m. - 1:00p.m.
Location: South Carolina State Fair Grounds
School should contact: Jackie Hong
Presenters should contact: Jane Hiller
 

Year Round

Richland County Recreation Commission
is seeking conservation education presenters for events, after-school programs and summer camps.
Contact: Shanita Seymore

 
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