Camp Fire Clubs "Rethink Recycling" through Community POWER Grant
Camp Fire clubs are learning about recycling and reducing waste this year through the Community POWER Grant. All clubs are participating in the program this year, which incorporates learning about natural resources with community service projects to reduce waste in youth's homes and neighborhoods.
The Community POWER grant is given by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board to help educate communities in Hennepin and Ramsey counties about waste reduction. Through this year's Rethink Recycling activities, Camp Fire is developing a curriculum toolkit for the Coordinating Board that will be distributed to 20-25 other youth development organizations in the Twin Cities.
Camp Fire's Community POWER grant activities are also helping the Coordinating Board to reach out to communities it has had trouble connecting with in the past. At Seward Towers East, Camp Fire youth presented at the monthly "Green Times" event about why they are committed to helping the 
Earth and how to recycle common household items. "Having the kids help gave us one of the best turnouts we've ever had," said Zach Marshall an AmeriCorps member at Seward Towers East.
The youth were also able to better connect with community members at the apartment tower, many of whom are Somali immigrants who speak limited English. "We got to really help the people," one youth presenter said. "If they didn't understand what we said, I told them in my own language so they would understand."
Youth-directed community service is a key component of the Rethink Recycling program. "It's great to see youth acting as agents of change in their communities," said Camp Fire staff member Suzi Flory. "We get the kids excited about recycling and making safe household cleaners, and then they share it with their parents and neighbors."
Here is a sampling of Rethink Recycling projects:
Brooklyn Center Teens in Action
Teens ran a school-wide bottle cap collection drive to collect and recycle plastic bottle caps. Bottle caps are not accepted by city recycling centers; the teens partnered with Aveda's recycling program where bottle caps are collected separately and recycled into new containers and caps for Aveda's products. The teens saved over 2,400 bottle caps from going into landfills!
Rivertown Commons
Club members performed a skit of Shel Silverstein's poem "Sara Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" as part of a presentation on the three R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. They also drafted a letter to Resident Services requesting recycling for their apartments. "Doing this presentation was so empowering to our youth," said club leader Cici Baker. "They were proud of themselves and excited that so many people came to see them."
Yorkdale Townhomes
Club members made green May Day baskets out of old newspapers and filled them with recycling-related goodies to give to residents of South Haven, a CommonBond residence for seniors. Youth brought the baskets to South Haven and gave a presentation on waste reduction to the seniors. "Youth and seniors alike were excited about the opportunity to interact and to learn from one another," said club leader Susan Gahan.
Seward Towers East
Club members created a mural of the earth that included pledges each youth made to take care of the Earth. They gave a presentation about the mural and how to recycle common household items, then distributed Rethink Recycling reusable tote bags to residents to use in carrying recyclables out to the large recycling bins.
Skyline Towers
Though the club's initial project of helping elders in the complex carry their recyclables to recycling bins was put on hold because of a delay in receiving the recycling containers, youth quickly drew up a new service project to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Youth implemented an anti-litter campaign, picking up trash from around the apartment complex and sorting out recyclables.
