Club Members Lead Efforts to Protect the Environment By Katy Griggs
As world leaders explore ways to cultivate clean energy sources and create green jobs, Torch Club members are taking matters into their own hands and coming up with innovative ways to protect the environment. Their efforts are paying off in communities all across America.
Torch Clubs, which have been sponsored by Staples Foundation for Learning since 2002, help Boys & Girls Club members ages 11-13 develop leadership skills and a commitment to community service. Each year, hundreds of Torch Clubs participate in a National Service Project, with the top three winners receiving cash awards for their creativity, leadership and impact on their communities.
With a theme of BE GREAT, BE GREEN, the 2008 National Service Project challenged Torch Clubs to develop and implement ways to improve the environment. Torch Club members were more than up to the task; a recent survey showed that an overwhelming majority – 92 percent – already had concerns about the environment, especially global warming and pollution.
Across the country, the budding environmentalists used innovative methods to raise awareness and motivate others to go green. Read on to learn about the top three winners.
First Place:
Monofilament Recovery and Recycling
Edgewater Boys & Girls Club of Volusia/Flagler Counties, Fla.
During a field trip in 2008, Torch Club members at the Edgewater Boys & Girls Club of Volusia/Flagler Counties visited sick and injured animals at a wildlife hospital. They became concerned about what was causing these creatures to become ill.
A marine biologist educated the visitors about the dangers associated with monofilament, which is a strand of plastic used as a fishing line. When monofilament is discarded in the water, animals can become entangled, which leads to drowning, starvation or injury. The substance is non-degradable in water and takes more than 600 years to begin decomposing.
Alarmed by the threat posed to marine animals, Torch Club members conducted research on the Internet and learned how to build and distribute recycling bins for used monofilament. They also discovered that their county offered a monofilament recycling program and contacted local officials to find out how they could participate.
A week later, Torch Club youth, in partnership with Volusia County, assembled more than 50 large monofilament bins. They adopted three of those bins, which they still routinely take back to the Club for recycling. When the collection box is full, they mail it to a company that melts the contents down and turns them into fishing tackle boxes.
Wanting to do more, the Club members made 150 mini-bins for fishermen to attach to their belts. In addition, the Torch Club staffed the county’s monofilament information booth at a local fishing tournament and distributed mini-bins.
"Our Torch Club members engaged in a meaningful, hands-on service project," says Suzanne Oster, Torch Club advisor for the Volusia Club. "They learned how to be responsible leaders while also protecting wildlife."
Second Place:
The Clean Kids Initiative
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo, Mich.
When Torch Club members at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo asked a local community agency what families needed, the response was unexpected: laundry detergent. In the economic downturn, families were struggling to pay bills and laundry detergent was expensive.
Torch Club members didn’t miss a beat. They researched detergent recipes online and tested some, finally settling on a formula that was both attractive and inexpensive at only 38 cents per gallon. They named their product Fresh Air and distributed it in reusable containers. They also encouraged families to bring empty bottles to the Club
for refills.
To take it one step further, the enterprising Club members developed a project using Fresh Air called Clean Kids Initiative, complete with a business plan and marketing strategy. To purchase supplies for the project, they negotiated a loan and payment plan with their Boys & Girls Club. In the spirit of giving back, they decided to make Clean Kids an ongoing endeavor. All proceeds are dedicated to developing and maintaining the Club’s summer camp fruit orchard and pine tree farm. They will harvest pine trees for families that cannot afford Christmas trees during the holiday season. All harvested trees will be replaced with seedlings.
In addition, the Torch Club collaborated with other nonprofits to use the detergent as a fundraiser. For example, a local church bought the product, doubled the price for its customers, and dedicated the proceeds to a sustainable development trip to Africa.
"Clean Kids teaches our members how much work goes into running a business," says Krissy Rahn, advisor to the Kalamazoo Torch Club. "It also teaches them how something they do here can have an effect on people around the world."
Third Place:
The Miracle of Worms
Boys & Girls Clubs of Emerald Valley, Ore.
At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Emerald Valley, Torch Club members sought ways to continue the momentum from last year’s recycling program. The result was a composting project, "The Miracle of Worms: Lessons through Vermiculture."
The Torch Club launched its project with sessions about how to care for worms using compost from properly disposed leftovers. "When our worm bin began to smell so bad that our whole Club stank, our Torch Club learned an important lesson about what happens when an ecosystem is off-balance," says Lisa Martinez, advisor to the Emerald Valley Torch Club.
Club members worked hard to maintain the worms’ environment. They then packaged the nutrient-rich organic fertilizer to be used on flowers and plants, and sold it in the community. They took pride in producing something that enriched the earth.
"This project inspired other Club members to join the Torch Club because they also wanted be recognized as leaders," says Martinez. "It was so successful that we added a second chartered Torch Club to accommodate more participants."
The Power of Torch Clubs
BE GREAT, BE GREEN proved to be more than a one-time project for participants; it spurred ongoing efforts to keep neighborhoods across America clean and eco-friendly. It’s a testament to the power of Torch Clubs, and their ability to encourage young people to become leaders who serve their communities with pride and passion. As a result, these Club members have become true stewards of the environment, making the world a better place for everyone – one project at a time.
