5th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest Announced

The 5th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest is underway.  Pictured is the winning design of 2013 designed by Larissa Hernandez, a 7th grader from Dalton Middle School.

Middle Schoolers from Whitfield Co. Invited to Participate in 2014 Art Contest

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is pleased to announce it’s 5th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders that attend either public or private schools participating in the Target Recycling at School program in Whitfield County.  Students are invited to design a billboard in keeping with the spirit of America Recycles Day, which is celebrated yearly on November 15.  The top design out of the three grade levels will be displayed for four weeks on two billboards in Whitfield County.

During the 2013 contest, Dalton Middle School 7th grader, Larissa Hernandez, won first place overall.  Her artwork, chosen out of 193 entries includes the phrase, “I Recycle Do You?” which included the America Recycles Day logo, in colorful letter blocks.

Themes for this year include, “I want to be recycled.”, and “I recycle with Recycling Ben!”  First, second, and third place prizes will be given in each of the three grade levels.  The grand prize is chosen from the three first place winners. 

The Contest Guide with an entry form can be downloaded at www.DWSWA.org.  Deadline for entries is Monday, November 10, 2014.  There is no entry fee, however an official entry form needs to be included with the artwork.  Only artwork submitted directly from a school representative will be accepted.  Winners will be announced on Monday, November 17, 2014. 

For more information contact Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, at 706-278-5001 or e-mail: lswafford@dwswa.org.  To learn more about America Recycles Day visit www.americarecyclesday.org.

Local Schools Participate in Nationwide School Recycling Contest

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization, has announced the winners of “Recycle-Bowl”, the first comprehensive nationwide recycling competition for elementary-, middle- and high-school students.  65 schools in Georgia participated at the state level recycling as much as possible during the weeks of October 15 to November 15, 2013.   At the state level, two local schools placed in the Top 5 in Georgia taking second, and third place.

Public and private schools in Whitfield County currently participate in Target Recycling at School, a free recycling collection service offered by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority.  With the assistance of the DWSWA’s recycling center, 36 local schools were registered for the 3rd annual nationwide competition.  Each school received a kit to help promote recycling in their school with posters and educational activities. 

At the end of the competition period the weights of the recyclables collected at each school were reported to Recycle-Bowl staff.  The national winner was Foothill Elementary School in Pittsburg, California.  A full list of statewide winners can be found at www.Recycle-Bowl.org.  Below are the top five schools in the state of Georgia for Recycle-Bowl 2013:

Georgia’s Top 5 Recycle-Bowl Competitors:

1. Cass Middle School, Cartersville, GA

2. New Hope Middle School, Dalton, GA

3. Pleasant Grove Elementary, Dalton, GA

4. Robert Shaw Traditional Theme School, Scottdate, GA

5. Brighten Academy, Douglasville, GA

The total amount of school only recyclables recovered nationwide during the 2013 competition added up to 6.4 million pounds, which in turn prevented the release of nearly 8,913 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCE). In real-world terms, this reduction in greenhouse gases is equivalent to the annual emissions from 473 passenger cars.

 “Inspiring young people to recycle at school reinforces the importance of recycling everywhere, whether at home or on the go,” said Jennifer Jehn, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “We are also pleased that so many schools use the competition to improve existing recycling programs or develop new ones that didn’t exist prior to their participation.”

2013 Billboard Design Contest Winner Announced

“I Recycle. Do You?” is the overall winner for this year’s America Recycles Day Billboard contest.  The design was created by Dalton Middle School 7th grader Larissa Hernandez.

(Dalton, GA, November 19, 2013) –  Dalton Middle School 7th grader, Larissa Hernandez, is the overall winner of the 2013 America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest hosted by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority’s program Target Recycling at School. 

The design chosen out of 265 entries includes the phrase, “I Recycle. Do You?” which was one of the themes of the contest.  The artwork is eye catching and very colorful with multicolored blocks of letters, and a recycling symbol.

The winning design will be displayed on two billboards in the Whitfield County area for at least one month.  This is the fourth year of the design contest open to Whitfield County middle school students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade attending either a public or private school that recycles with Target Recycling at School.

The billboard design contest had a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner from each grade level.  The nine students, listed below, received a certificate of participation and a gift bag with items made from recycled materials.  The first place overall was selected from the first place design from each grade level.

6th grade:

• 1st Place – Alexis Lynch, Dalton Middle School
• 2nd Place – Nubia Loya, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Jenny Jimenez, Eastbrook Middle School 

7th grade:

• 1st Place and Overall Winner – Larissa Hernandez, Dalton Middle School
• 2nd Place – Laisha Rubio, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Gisselle Cisneros, Dalton Middle School 

8th grade:

• 1st Place – Mackenzie McDermott, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Angelina Calderon, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Elena Leyssens, Dalton Middle School

America Recycles Day is a community-driven event dedicated to promoting recycling awareness, commitment, and action in the U.S. thru its partnership with Keep America Beautiful.  For more information on recycling, and to take the pledge to recycle visit www.AmericaRecyclesDay.org.   

Target Recycling at School provides recycling collection services and environmental education opportunities to schools in Whitfield County.  For more information call 706-278-5001 or visit the Environmental Education page.

Correction:  Ms. McDermott was incorrectly listed in the 8th grade category.  However, since prizes have been given and results announced, there will be no changes in the winners for this year.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

Dalton Middle School students that placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork.  From Left to Right: Alexis Lynch, Elena Leyssens, Gisselle Cisneros, and Larissa Hernandez. 

Eastbrook Middle School students who placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork.  From Left to Right: Mackenzie McDermott, Laisha Rubio, Jenny Jimenez, Nubia Loya, and Angelina Calderon.

Elizabeth Swafford Earns ATEEG Distinction

Elizabeth Swafford has been certified as an Environmental Educator thru the nationally accredited professional development program Advanced Training for Environmental Education in Georgia.

(Dalton, GA, October 27, 2013) –  Elizabeth Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, and Executive Director of Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, has earned the distinction of Certified Environmental Educator.  After completing a rigorous two and a half year study she received one of the first certifications for ATEEG, Advanced Training for Environmental Education in Georgia.  This professional certification program is offered by the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, and the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia.

Swafford was recognized at the 2013 Environmental Education Alliance’s Annual Conference in March along with other educators who successfully completed the program, which is nationally accredited by the North American Association for Environmental Education.  The ATEEG certification required 30 hours of specialization workshops, completing three core courses, and an independent study project.  The courses focused on the foundations of environmental education, fostering learning, and assessment and evaluation.

This certification is of benefit to educators in the state who want to be recognized as a leader in the field of environmental education and gain credibility for the profession that is reflected in various career paths.  Educators can range from those in formal settings, such as a science teacher in a public school, to those working in non-formal educational settings like a nature center.  Swafford is a non-formal educator who teaches local students about recycling, the landfill, and other environmental topics through her work at the DWSWA and KDWB.

Swafford’s independent study project, Recycling Ben’s Sidekick Training, was designed to train third graders to become recycling superheroes.  During the special 4 hour program students made upcycled name tags, toured the landfill and recycling center in Whitfield County, made an edible model of a landfill, completed a recycling relay race, and met mascot Recycling Ben.  The project included all aspects of the ATEEG program, including components for assessment and evaluation. The special training is now part of the regular educational opportunities offered at the facility.

Open House for Educators at Recycling Center Announced

DALTON, GA – Local educators are invited to visit the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority’s Recycling Center during its annual Open House for Educators on Tuesday, August 6, 2013 to find out what they have to offer their school.  The event has a flexible schedule allowing guests to come and go as they like between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm.  Educators from Whitfield County Public Schools, City of Dalton Public Schools, and private schools that participate in the Target Recycling at School program are specifically invited.  However, representatives from local home school groups, and other organizations that work with children, like Girl Scouts, are welcome to attend.

During the open house teachers and staff will receive an overview of the Target Recycling at School program, which provides recycling collection services to public and private schools in Whitfield County, an environmental education program, annual recycling contest, and other complimentary services to participating locations.  Visitors will also learn about setting up a recycling program for their school, and improving current recycling rates.

Guests will have the opportunity to tour the recycling center, and learn what happens to the things recycled at their school.  Several environmental education activities available for school visits and facility tours will be demonstrated.  Promo items, snacks, and educational materials, like coloring books, and posters will also be provided.  Reservations are requested but not required. 

The recycling center is located on the same property as the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill and Convenience Center at the south end of the county at 4189 Old Dixie Hwy. in Dalton.  Directions are available online at www.dwswa.org/directions.  For more information, or to make a reservation call 706-278-5001 or e-mail: lswafford@dwswa.org.