A Brighter Green for the World

1. A Brighter Green for the World • A Presentation by Ms. Shelby Childress, Farhana Hoq, Syed Khalid, Isaiah Joo, Ed Manolache, Farah Syed, and Kristen Taylor

2. Mission Statement • Whilst living in a society that is slowly becoming a waste ridden and polluted abyss, it becomes prudent and our primary objective to embark on a journey to slow down the causes of this degradation of the planet. • We are committed to a sustainable future and to improving the social, economic and environmental well being of the community and planet.

3. Waste Awareness • Why is this environmental topic important? • All facets of the environment can and are be affected negatively by waste today. • This includes, but is not limited to • Land - Landfills around the world are filling up at an alarming rate. • Water - Waste is leeching and contaminating our valuable fresh water supply. • Air - Harmful pollutants and greenhouse gases are a dangerous effect of waste. • Climate - The release of greenhouse gases from waste attributes to the disturbing climate change.

4. Objective • By implementing various actions and methods, wastes of all kind will and are being reduced in Maine East High School, our local communities, the state of Illinois, and our fragile island home, Earth. • Our main targets that contribute to the waste dilemma include e-wastes, municipal solid wastes, junk mail, and plastics. • Awareness and outreach is another primary goal for us. Through the utilization of the internet, social networking, pamphlet, posters and simple word of mouth, we have educated and spread the message of Waste Awareness to all levels of the community, school, local, state, and nation wide.

5. Plan • Many slight, yet important steps and programs are used toward the accomplishment of our objectives • Maine East High School • Establishment of Greening the High School Campus • Maine East is among ten other Chicago-area schools that serves as a model for sustainability in our local and state community and improves our Green Report Card. • Availability of Recycling Facilities • Every classroom has a recycling bin and the cafeteria has a brand new recycling center • “Green Culture” • When we interviewed our principal, Mr. Steven Isoye, we agreed on boosting school spirit through positive environmental efforts. • We have been involved in and sponsored, ecofriendly organizations like Greening the High School Committee, Enviro-Lectures Committee, Oak Savannah Restoration, Ecology Club, Amnesty International and the Senior Gifted Lyceum. • We have created posters with images from Chris Jordan’s waste galleries around the school.

6. Plan (cont.) • Local Level • We created a pamphlet that highlights our efforts and provides essential information about our message. • We have distributed the pamphlet in parking lots and other local venues. • A local building called the Landings has inadequate recycling services and we have offered to take their paper. • We are hosting a “Green Raffle” with over $400 in prizes on our Earth Day even on April 19th. • We are selling merchandise such as hemp grocery bags to cut down on harmful wastes such as plastics. • National Level • We have created a website that carries our message. • We have a Facebook group with over 1,600 members invited that highlights our key issues. • We have created a popular video that highlights the issue of E-Waste and how people are uninformed. • Maine East has signed the Lt. Governor’s Illinois Sustainable Schools Compact and has become a leader for all high schools in Illinois and across the nation.

7. Implementation • Responsibilities • Ms. Shelby Childress • Sponsor of our group and Greening the High School Committee, Enviro-Lectures Committee, Oak Savannah Restoration, and the Ecology Club. • Farhana Hoq • Social Networking and Community Outreach • Syed Khalid • Website Designer and Interviewer • Isaiah Joo • PowerPoint Designer and Interviewer • Ed Manolache • Video Recorder/Editor/Director and Photographer • Farah Syed • Pamphlet Designer and Community Outreach • Kristen Taylor • Video Recorder, Chief Researcher, and Artist

8. Communication • Education of Greater Community • By spreading our message of Waste Awareness and distributing valuable information in the forms of pamphlets, online media and social networking, thousands of people are making a positive impact for the Earth. • Community Awareness • The Pioneer, our school’s very own newspaper wrote about our success in the previous Lexus Environmental Challenge. • Prominent members of the Maine East Administration were contacted and consulted with. • Eric Podders, the editor of the Morton Grove Voice, came out in person and met with us. • Staples has been contacted and is a partner in our campaign against E-Waste.

9. Success • The many buildings and apartment complexes in the local Landings has been offered a proper and environmentally friendly method of recycling paper products. • Our website and its embedded video has been called, “A brilliant creation and a great stride toward environmental stewardship.” The daily hits just keep adding up. • Our social networking efforts have paid off very well, with over a hundred members and over 1,600 people invited in our Facebook group called, “A Brighter Green For The World.” • 300 pamphlets printed on 100% recycled paper have been distributed to key locations including the local library, our high school, churches, and parking lots. • Over $400 were donated from seven local sources for our school’s “Green Raffle” and the sales of raffle tickets are going very well.

10. Team Usage of Prize Money • The team members have unanimously agreed that if we are lucky enough to be selected as winners for the Lexus Environmental Final Challenge, we would spend it toward our college expenses next year. • Some of the institutions we are attending next year include, DePaul University, American University, Brown University, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Southern Illinois University. • The fields of studies we will pursue in the coming four years include Environmental Sciences, Neuroscience, Chemistry, Political Science, and Criminology.

11. Teacher/School Use of Prize Money • Ms. Shelby Childress • “Maine East High School has signed on to Lt. Governor Pat Quinn's Illinois Sustainable Schools Compact and we will be working hard to reach the goals that we have set by 2010. One of these includes becoming more energy efficient by installing solar panels to generate a portion of the electricity in our building. The money that we would receive from the Lexus Environmental Challenge would help us to achieve this goal. As we continue tracking our electrical energy expenditures we expect to see significant savings that will serve as a valuable indicator of our progress toward becoming a Sustainable School. This progress will also help to improve our school's Green Report Card that we have created in collaboration with ten other city and suburban high schools as well as DePaul University. This Greening the High School group meets monthly at DePaul University and this year we have chosen Waste Awareness as our theme. Thanks for the opportunity to help us reach these goals!"