PRESS RELEASE DETAIL
For release: IMMEDIATELY
Release Date: 11/15/2016
Mayor Holden announces winner of EBR school recycling competition
For more information, contact:
Adam Smith, Interim Director, Department of Environmental Services: (225) 389-4865
Susan Boudreaux, Mayor’s Office: (225) 389-5101
Michelle McCalope, Mayor’s Office: (225) 389-7957
After a month-long recycling competition through which more than 7,000 pounds of recyclable materials were collected by Baton Rouge area schools, Mayor-President Melvin L. “Kip” Holden announced Kenilworth Science and Technology School as the winning school today, with 3,291 pounds collected by students during the month of October.
The competition – held in honor of a national initiative to promote recycling called America Recycles Day – served as a core component of the Department of Environmental Services’ Adopt-A-School Program, which Mayor Holden launched earlier this year as part of a pilot program to educate and engage area K-12 students in the mission and core functions of the department tasked with overseeing the East Baton Rouge parish wastewater system, garbage collection, recycling services, and environmental compliance issues throughout Baton Rouge.
“I’m continually amazed by what can happen when our youngest citizens can come together to learn about the importance of positively contributing to the Baton Rouge environment while in the process learning more about the work our City-Parish does on a daily basis,” said Mayor Holden. “I want to congratulate the work of the students at Kenilworth Science and Technology for their efforts through this competition, and my hope is that all the students across East Baton Rouge Parish who participated will be able to carry the lessons they have learned about recycling well into the rest of their lives.”
In honor of the work of the Kenilworth students through this recycling competition, Mayor Holden proclaimed Nov. 15, 2016 as “Kenilworth Science and Technology School Day.” In total, participating students and schools – which also included Scotlandville High, and Scotlandville Middle, The Dunham School, and Westdale Elementary – collected 7,379 pounds of recyclable materials, which were then delivered to the East Baton Rouge Parish recycling facility in coordination with Waste Connections, Inc., the City-Parish recycling contractor.
"The recycling contest created an opportunity for students to see the reality of how much recyclable material could have been wasted in just a month,” said Hasan Suzuk, Principal of Kenilworth Science and Technology Principal. “Students directly got to see the important role the Department of Environmental Services plays in Baton Rouge and now are instilled with a desire to continue recycling efforts.”
This Adopt-A-School program provides educational support and helps to create meaningful connections between City-Parish staff and Baton Rouge area elementary, middle, and high school students related to STEM concepts and other key topics involving services or functions overseen by the Department of Environmental Services.
“Through this program, our team at the Department of Environmental Services has been able to work closely with students across Baton Rouge to educate them on the importance of creating a sustainable environment and future for Baton Rouge, creating a win-win for our community in the process,” said Adam Smith, Interim Director of the Department of Environmental Services. “It’s so critical for students to learn these habits at a young age, and I’m proud of the work we’ve been able to do throughout the semester in helping to incorporate a positive, intentional mindset about recycling through school engagement and classroom activities.”
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