During the week of January 12th-16th, the students of Ignite practiced collecting, conserving, and
cleaning to preserve the environment.
Ignite’s Sustainability and Entrepreneurship Coordinator, Ms. Evan Johnson, planned school-wide
events that gave students the opportunity to experience being a service to their planet through
hands-on activities.
Collect
Students used the week to collect bottle caps, clothing, and hand sanitizer. Reducing waste was the
main goal for collecting the bottle caps and donating the unused clothing. Over 8,000 bottle caps
were turned in and Ms. Freeman’s 5A class won a pizza party for their extraordinary efforts to
rid the Earth of excessive waste.
Hand sanitizer was also collected by homeroom teachers to introduce the act of conservation.
Conserve
Conserving energy and water was a foreign concept to students. They really needed to experience
the act of conservation. Ignite provided the opportunity by shutting off all hallway lights and
instructing teachers to not use smartboards all day on Thursday. The students realized how much
light and energy they had been using and that they were very capable of going without.
Teachers also taught hand-washing lessons during the week of sustainability. Students learned to
turn off the water as they lathered their hands, and then to turn the faucet back on to rinse. This
conservation tip is one the students are sure to remember because they thought that using their
elbows to turn on the faucet was hilarious!
Clean
The finale of Sustainability Week was a community clean up. Students walked the area around their
school cleaning up the debris and litter. Grades three through five went to shopping areas that
surrounded their school to make an effort. The students were shocked at how much litter they
passed every day and vowed to clean up daily.
Sustainability Week was a huge success for Ignite. Our students walked away feeling educated and
empowered by their ability to help their planet.
