Young Activist Club Honored with Community Hero Award

For Immediate Release .....................................Youth Leadership & Climate Focus
more photos/video available

Contact:
Nadine Bloch 301-891-3680, mobile 202-412-7611 or nbloch@igc.org
Brenda Platt 202-898-1610 ext. 230, mobile 301-787-1104 or bplatt@ilsr.org

www.YoungActivistClub.org

Young Activist Club Honored with Community Hero Award

3rd, 4th, 5th graders lead the way to healthy schools!

WHAT.......... The Young Activist Club (YAC) at Piney Branch Elementary School was honored last night by the Montgomery County Civic Federation who bestowed their “Community Hero Award” on the group for their work to get rid of toxic polystyrene in their schools, their City and the County.

The YAC has raised more than $10,000 for their proposed dishwasher project, only to be stalled by a mysteriously unsupportive Board of Education and an antagonistic School Superintendent. The Campaign continues...

WHO........... Montgomery County Civic Federation Officers & Members
The Young Activist Club (15 3rd,4th,5th graders from PBES)
Concerned and supportive citizens

WHEN......... Monday,November 8th

WHERE........Montgomery County Federation Meeting,100 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD

WHY............. Ten Year olds Margot and Kira began “Thank you for having us here tonight and thank you for your support for our pilot project to get rid of styrofoam lunch trays and put a dishwasher in our school!

Polystyrene (plastic type #6), also known as styrofoam, is bad for public health and the environment. It is made from styrene, a known neurotoxin and suspected human carcinogen.
For this reason alone, we think polystyrene should not be used for serving food to school children.”

“But there's more. It turns out polystyrene has a high carbon footprint because it's made from fossil fuels. and it can’t be recycled, and  it’s also nonbiodegradable. So it ends up eventually in our watersheds and oceans where it can have devastating impacts on water life. Even worse in Montgomery County is that we burn our trays, putting poison into our air.
Plus, the disposable polystyrene trays cost our school, alone, about $5000 thousand dollars a year.”

5th Grader Emily continued “ Fortunately there are many alternatives to polystyrene used in food service ware and many communities supporting alternatives. There are about two dozen communities that have banned in one way or another the use of polystyrene for food service ware. Yeah! We are not alone! Alternative products include washable ware (the best environmental choice!) and compostable products such as paper trays or corn-based cutlery.”

Young Activist Jake concluded by noting “We, the YAC , are working on more than just getting rid of styrofoam lunch trays. At the school level, We will be following up with our PTA to extend the No Funds Spent on Polystyrene Pledge to other PTA's in the County and State!
In Takoma Park, we are working on the Mayor and City Council's suggestion that the City go beyond just a City ban on city funds for purchasing Polystyrene Food Service Ware to the businesses in Takoma Park. We are starting a campaign to educate businesses and get a pledge to go "Polystyrene Free". And we have ideas for the whole state too!

We would also like to support the growing student school gardens movement as well...
so we really appreciate receiving the Community Hero award as we promise to keep up the good work!”

Young Activist Club Members are available for interviews, please contact us above.

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