Photo courtesy of OECD
California's Orange County Waste & Recycling (OCWR) has partnered with the Orange County Department of Education’s (OCDE’s) Inside the Outdoors environmental education program to provide local educators with materials that support classroom lessons, student engagement and family activities related to Orange County’s waste diversion efforts. Nearly 20 local schools have participated in a pilot program to sample and give feedback on the new curriculum, with dozens more expected to implement the program in the upcoming 2021-22 school year, OCWR says in a news release about the initiative.
“The county is proud to provide educators with the valuable tools to engage students about waste diversion while supporting state-mandated teaching requirements,” Supervisor Andrew Do, chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, says. “Together, we’re inspiring students to play an active role in preserving our local resources for a safe and healthy community for future generations.”
Aimed at building environmental literacy, the program seeks to support local communities in achieving the organic waste diversion goals set forth under Senate Bill 1383. Approved by the governor in 2016, the law changed the way California manages organic waste and required a 75 percent reduction in the statewide disposal of organics by Jan. 1, 2025, compared with 2014 levels.
“While waste diversion goals can be reached through activities such as edible food rescue, composting and recycling of organic waste, the partnership between OCWR and OCDE intends to educate the county's youngest consumers, creating a lasting impact for the future and increasing engagement in these practices,” says Lori Kiesser, education and partnership coordinator for Inside the Outdoors.
Tom Koutroulis, director, OC Waste & Recycling, adds, “The partnership with OCDE’s Inside the Outdoors program is key to the county’s next generation of waste diversion education and programs in response to state standards and more recent economic impacts within the recycling industry. OCWR and OCDE are uniquely positioned to provide teachers, students and families with resources that support academic frameworks to ensure accessibility for all communities in Orange County.”
More information on Eco Challenge and how local educators can implement the curriculum in their classrooms is available from Inside the Outdoors at insidetheoutdoors@ocde.us.