The Blue Bin Crusaders worked with Rodman Elementary School and its after-school program to educate students about recycling and donations. They held various activities and lessons teaching recycling awareness. Their efforts were highly successful, with students far exceeding donation goals and gaining knowledge about reducing waste. The group collaborated well and hopes their work will continue positively impacting the New Bedford community through sustainable recycling habits and donations to those in need.

1. ARD Team Project:
The Blue Bin Crusaders
Greg Farias, Jalisa Smith, Janet Joy, Robb Hassa

2. Project Purpose
 Creatively educate the children at Rodman
Elementary and the 21st Century After-
School Program.
 Introduce Gifts to Give
 Make a donation
 Build a successful team

3. Service to Community
Partners
 Worked with Rodman Elementary to teach students
about recycling awareness both in the classroom and
as an afterschool program.
 Spread knowledge about Marissa Perez-Dormiter’s
goal to increase recycling and awareness in New
Bedford
 Taught about and set up a program for Gifts to Give.
 Raised a substantial number of items for Gifts to Give
through Rodman Elementary student donations.

4. Assembly
We had the honor of
presenting the Rodman
Elementary school (grades
kindergarten-fifth grade) with
a recycling seminar and
recycling project for the
school on October 26th.
This included:
• Presenting the blue bins
• Presenting the green bins
• Presenting Gifts to give

5. 4 th Grade Lesson
We chose November 14th during National Recycling
Week.
This lesson was geared towards the 4th graders so that
they can have a personal lesson on how to recycle and
reuse items.
This day included the students to participate in two
activities and a listening lesson.

6. 21st Century
After-School
Program
We wanted the children to be
more involved in the
activities. After school on
November 14th the Blue Bin
Crusaders came back to
Rodman to collect all the gifts
to give items. The children of
the after school programs
helped us gather and sort the
items into its specific
category.

7. 3rd Grade
Activity
On Friday November 16th the
3rd graders were such a
pleasure to work with. They
were able to participate in an
in-class recycling activity with
the Blue Bin Crusaders

8. Think outside the box
We had to literally think outside  Assembly Examples: To get
the box. We included many through to the children we
brought examples of a bottle,
different creative activities flattened cereal box, Clifford
throughout the Rodman Project. animal (toy), children's jacket,
shirt, and pants.
 Project Rushmore: this artistic
creativity shows that we were  4th grade: We scattered
able to put our ideas on paper returnable bottle around the
room and whoever found the
 Posters for Assembly: drew out bottles received money for
three posters with illustrations them.
to present to the school about
recycling  List acceptable and non
acceptable: read off a list of
 Board illustrations during items and children listed them
events under the proper category

9. More outside the box
 Rewards: the children was  How it is done: you need,
rewarded with mood plastic bags, scissors, and
pencils made by recycled duck tape
material was given to us
my Meg who works with  Cut the handles off the bag,
Marissa then cut the bag in half
along the two sides, cut the
 Jump Rope: the after school rectangles into slices then
children was able to grab three slices, braid into
practice this activity with a rope, do this with
Janet on Nov. 15th but it multiple slices and then
really hit home with the 3rd duck tape the ropes
graders on the Friday. together

10. Community Involvement
We were able to measure our success by the data we
collected. The results of our project showed a positive,
significant impact in the New Bedford area.

11. Community Involvement
Cont.
 Gave the children at Rodman a goal of 10 coats and 10
toys, for a total of 20 items.
 Children raised a total of 220 items, 1100% of the goal.
 The 140 students at the school, in particular the 50
combined between then 3rd and 4th grade helped out
with lesson plans while about 30 children in the
afterschool program also participated.
 Our program not only affected the students at Rodman,
but also the future recipients of these items, leaving a
lasting, positive impact on the New Bedford community.

12. Recycling Awareness,
Education, and Behavior
 Handed out Pamphlets on both recycling (provided
to us by Marissa) and on Gifts to Give(made by our
group).
 Held numerous events for Gifts to Give including
leaving the collection bin and sorting through the
items with the after school program.
 Provided the school with additional green recycling
barrels.
 Taught lessons on recycling and did educational
arts and crafts.

13. Recycling Awareness,
Education and Behavior Cont.
 Worked with about 30 children in the after school
program.
 Split them into groups and had them sort out the bins
and boxes and had them help organize them into
groups.
 Explained to them how they were making an impact
and helping out other children and families who are
not able to afford clothes and toys for themselves.

14. Sustainability
 Have instituted Gifts to Give in the school itself.
Bins will remain even after we have left and the
school will continue to donate to the organization.
 Positively influenced lives of the students and left a
good impression on the benefits of recycling.
 140 children donated 220 items to other children.

15. What We Learned
 Compromise
 Accountability is
key
 A little effort leads
to a huge impact
 Effective
Communication
leads to successful
project

16. Conclusion
 Reaching out and educating the students and staff
of Rodman Elementary
 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
 Teams working efficiently and effectively