The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI), Washington, D.C., has announced the launch of school recycling curriculum pilots in three U.S. cities: Staten Island, New York; Baltimore; and Kalamazoo, Michigan. The pilot programs will combine standards-based lessons to teach the science of recycling with local outreach through community recycling partners, so students can learn about the recycling process firsthand.
ISRI says that over the last few years it has worked with JASON Learning, a nonprofit organization and long-time partner of the National Geographic Society, to develop a recycling curriculum for teachers to use within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects in grades K-12. The curriculum includes curricular experiences, interactive Web-based resources, classroom posters featuring key educational messages, strategies for school visits to ISRI member recycling facilities and age-appropriate lesson plans based on life cycle for each commodity.
“ISRI is proud to be partnering with JASON and local schools on this one-of-a-kind initiative to help teach the science of recycling in classrooms and get kids interested in careers in science,” says Robin Wiener, president of ISRI. “The three pilot programs led by ISRI members Pratt Industries, United Iron and Metal and Schupan & Sons will give children the opportunity to see how recycling works up close, teach them the skills needed for careers in the field and help them develop an interest in STEM subjects. It is through this education process that the recycling industry will gain its next generation of leaders.”
In Staten Island, ISRI’s recycling curriculum will be launched at 10 public schools this spring and expanded boroughwide for the next school year, ultimately serving nearly 65,000 students. ISRI Member Pratt Industries is sponsoring the pilot and is an active partner in its implementation.
Other partners on the project include GrowNYC, the Department of Sanitation of New York and the sustainability department for the NYC Department of Education.
In Baltimore, a second pilot program is taking place at Lakeland Elementary/Middle School. The school has more than 800 students from pre-K through 8th grades. JASON Learning has been providing Lakeland teachers with a series of training sessions on effectively delivering the recycling curriculum, which it plans to implement at the school this fall. ISRI Member United Iron & Metal is the community recycling partner for this pilot.
In Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo’s County Public Schools are hosting ISRI’s third recycling pilot program. JASON Learning is conducting recycling curriculum training on May 6 for more than two dozen teachers from the school district and Southwest Michigan. The teachers are planning to integrate the recycling curriculum into lesson plans this coming fall.
The pilot program is being sponsored by ISRI’s Michigan Chapter with active participation from Schupan & Sons, which will serve as the pilot’s community recycling partner. Schupan & Sons also will arrange to provide tours of their recycling facility in conjunction with the curriculum implementation.
To access the ISRI/JASON Learning curriculum visit www.isri.org/jason.
ISRI kicks off education program
Association and member companies plan to implement the JASON Learning project at three school systems.