Board member Alan Buck and science teacher Huaying “Tracy” Jiang receive the Green Steps award from Jane Hi l ler of Sonoco Recycling.
Demonstrating excellence in building a student recycling program, East Point Academy has been awarded two Green Step Awards in addition to being named a “Green Steps School” by the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina for conservation. The award was presented to club leader and science teacher Huaying “Tracy” Jiang and East Point Academy board chair Alan Buck September 8 by Jane Hiller of Sonoco Recycling Education Center.
To be eligible for a Green Steps award, school projects need to be at least two years in length and monitored by a Green Steps mentor. The aim of the projects is for students to gain enough environmental knowledge to be able to teach others.
“We are so impressed with the projects established at East Point Academy,” said Hiller, which included a school recycling program and school-based workshops on making tote bags out of old shopping bags. Both projects focused on conservation and allowed students to share their knowledge with peers.
Jiang, a fifth grade teacher, formed the East Point Green Team to focus on building a school culture around recycling and reusing. When reflecting on the experience Green Team provided for students, Jiang said, “My students and I learned so much from doing our recycling work every week. I would love to add more projects that can teach students how to reduce in their daily life.”
Head of School Mark Bounds echoed her enthusiasm for the program’s future saying, “In this challenging year, our teachers and students continue to learn, grow, and contribute to our community. I am so proud of Ms. Jiang and our Green Team students and look forward to seeing their next project.”
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