Reducing household hazardous waste with a service-learning project
Abstract
This excerpt from "Best Practices in Service Learning: Building a National Community College Network, 1994-1997" from the American Association of Community Colleges, highlights a service-learning project from a rural community college in Montana that focuses on reducing household hazardous waste materials through community education.
Issue
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans generate 1.6 million tons of household hazardous waste per year. Educating communities about reducing household hazardous waste and implementing programs to do so requires not only efforts to increase awareness, but inter-agency collaboration.
Action
The Waste Not project at Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) focused on community education and reduction of hazardous waste materials.
- Students at FVCC collaborated with a local citizens group and senior volunteers to teach schoolchildren how to reduce and eliminate hazardous waste in the home.
- As the project grew in size and recognition, students from several disciplines expanded their presentations to local businesses, with instructions on how to reduce the volume and toxicity levels of hazardous waste.
- Identifying a service-learning coordinator to work with a faculty liaison was key to creating a workable structure for service-learning integration, despite three different people filling the college's project director position during the three-year grant period.
- AmeriCorps members staffed the college's service-learning office in a visible location, reducing the workload for staff and faculty and attracting students to service-learning.
- The college sponsored a college-wide celebration and recognition of service-learners' accomplishments.
Context
Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) is a rural institution serving 1,600 students in northwest Montana, an area that takes pride in its beautiful natural resources. FVCC began its service-learning project with a single focus — reducing household hazardous waste — and ended up offering service-learning in 28 courses addressing broad community needs.
Making the Waste Not project at Flathead Valley Community College a success depended on a number of strategic actions by program staff and members, including identifying a service-learning coordinator to work with a faculty liaison and increasing awareness of the service-learning program.
Citation
Robinson, Gail. "Campus and Community Crossroads: The Waste Not Project." American Association of Community Colleges. (1998), p. 6.
Outcome
The Waste Not project increased community and campus knowledge and awareness of hazardous waste and waste reduction issues. Nearly 30 community agencies participated in creating several new partnerships and a larger sense of community support for the college. When students presented findings of a campus-wide waste audit to the college's board of trustees, the board approved the students' resolution to implement procedures to reduce campus waste, including starting a campus-wide recycling program.
By the third year, the project had expanded beyond its original environmental focus and 11 faculty had adapted their syllabi to include service-learning strategies.
Posted On
February 8, 2000For More Information
Source Documents
Campus and Community Crossroads: The Waste Not ProjectRelated Practices
No related practicesRelated sites
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
