South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

Champion of the Environment Grants Program

Champions of the Environment wants South Carolina’s young people to improve and protect the natural world. Each year champions rewards K-12 students and teachers for their environmental awareness and action. Maybe you will be the next Champion of the Environment.

The Grant Award Program rewards projects that help the environment. South Carolina's K-12 students, teachers and environmental educators can apply for up to a $2,000 grant. Projects that come close to receiving a grant are offered a Seedling Award or a Merit Award to get their projects started. 

Education is the key ...

... to making recycling work. DHEC's Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling (Office) provides a variety of materials and resources to teachers and other environmental educators as well as students.

Many of the materials and resources – including videos, public service announcements (PSAs), fact sheets and posters – are designed to support teachers who use “Action for a cleaner tomorrow: A South Carolina Environmental Curriculum Supplement.” But all of these materials can be used to supplement any recycling education activities.

Both teachers and students are encouraged to check out Information You Can Use. It provides several series of different types of fact sheets. The "Do Your Part" fact sheets provide a “call to action” on a variety of waste reduction and recycling opportunities. The "For Your Information" (FYI) fact sheets provide easy-to-follow background information on assorted environmental issues.

Want to know the environmental impact of all your activities? What is your carbon footprint? See Measure Your Impact for formulas and calculators.

What better way to teach or learn than by doing? Check out the following guides provided by the Office:

• “Recycling: A Guide for South Carolina Schools;”
• “Composting: A Guide for South Carolina Schools;” and
• “Environmental Clubs: A Guide for South Carolina Schools.”

There's also help for your science fair project. The "Science Fair Project Guidebook" not only provides basic tips, but also specific projects.

Additional materials such as coloring books and activity books are available for younger recyclers at Just for Kids.

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The Recycle Guys

R-E-C-Y-C-L-E…it begins with you and me! Sound familiar? We hope it does.

Many of the materials (e.g., videos, posters, coloring books, activity books) feature The Recycle Guys. Created by the Office, the Recycle Guys also star on television and radio as well as billboards and videos, spreading the word on recycling.

The Recycle Guys campaign was introduced in 1997 and is now used in more than 10 states and numerous municipal programs throughout the country.

Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

The Recycle Guys are television stars. To watch them sing, dance and spread the word about recycling, check out their commercial spots. These PSAs can be downloaded to support your “Action for a cleaner tomorrow” classroom lessons. Contact the Office at 1-800-768-7348 for more information.

Environmental Education Videos

Four award-winning videos are available to enhance “Action for a cleaner tomorrow” and other DHEC environmental education programs.

The four half-hour programs are available upon request as a set on one DVD. They also are available individually (with the exception of "Trashumentary") on DVD or VHS tape in limited quantities.

• "Earth Today" is a half-hour program that features student anchors and reporters in a network morning news format. The program, based on the "Today Show," NBC's popular morning news program, provides segments on a variety of environmental issues including air and water quality, energy conservation, recycling and litter prevention.

• Ever visit a landfill? Or a recycling or composting facility? An incinerator? Elementary and middle school students can visit all of these solid waste management facilities without leaving the classroom. "Trashumentary" is a 20-minute program that features visits to each of these facilities with students asking questions to the people who work there. This video is only available on DVD with the "Eco-Jeopardy," "Earth Today" and "DHEC1: Behind the Oil Change" videos.

• "DHEC1: Behind the Oil Change" chronicles the rise, fall and redemption of an environmentally conscious high school student who is caught illegally dumping used motor oil into a storm drain. This 14-minute program is the centerpiece for the "Green Driver Project."

To receive a copy of these programs on DVD, contact the Office's Resource Center or call 1-800-768-7348.

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Information You Can Use

This Web page provides a series of different types of fact sheets that present information on various environmental subjects.

Many of the fact sheets, particularly the "For Your Information" (FYI) series, provide background information – often with South Carolina-specific statistics – that can be useful to both teachers and students.

The "Do Your Part" fact sheets provide information about little things you can do around your home, at school or in your community that can make a big difference locally and globally.

Coloring Books and Activity Books

The Office provides two unique coloring books -- designed for kindergarten through second grade. One features images from the Office's popular poster series -- starring the Recycling Guys -- that younger students can color and enjoy. The other features the Guys from the "Wanted for Recycling" poster with fun facts about recycling in South Carolina. Both provide fun ways to learn more about recycling.

The Office offers several activity books -- targeting grades 2 through 6. Each one highlights a different environmental topic -- from waste reduction and recycling to litter prevention to green driving. One focuses on different environmental areas including air quality, water conservation and more.
 

Recycling: A Guide for South Carolina Schools

Why start a school recycling program? Because schools are essential in making recycling work in South Carolina.

Recycling and schools make a practically perfect partnership. A school recycling program provides a learning experience for everyone involved. By recycling at school, students, teachers, staff, administration and parents can learn not only the basics of recycling, but of sustainability and environmental stewardship.

School recycling programs also provide opportunities for teachers to offer valuable hands-on, real-life lessons to students. In addition, recycling may help schools and school districts save money through avoided disposal costs. Remember, the less you throw away, the less you should have to pay to have garbage hauled away. Depending on what and how much is recycled, there may be a chance to earn revenue from the sale of certain collected items (e.g., printer cartridges and aluminum cans).

By recycling, schools can make a significant contribution to South Carolina’s recycling efforts while helping the state’s economy and protecting the environment.

Ready to get started? This easy-to-follow guide provides the background you need to know to set up a successful and sustainable recycling program at your school.

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Composting: A Guide for South Carolina Schools

Whether a large-scale, school-wide program or small, single-classroom effort, composting helps schools reduce waste, protect the environment, create a useful product, provide a hands-on learning experience for students and perhaps save money. Although there are basic requirements for schools to follow and possible risks to be aware of, composting can be fun and easy to do.

"Composting: A Guide for South Carolina Schools" provides recommendations on how to start, what material to collect, where and how to collect it and, the basics on managing the program as well as the requirements that must be followed.

Environmental Clubs: A Guide for South Carolina Schools

South Carolina students can learn about the environment by exploring areas of interest beyond what is offered in the curriculum through participation in an environmental club.

Often, it is easy to find students who have an interest in and a concern for the environment. By becoming involved in a club’s projects at school and in the community, these students acquire skills to identify, investigate and understand environmental issues. Students learn the concept of community service by working together to make their school, neighborhood, city or county a better place to live and have fun as they explore their environment through service projects. Students also may develop valuable leadership experience through involvement in an environmental club.

This guide provides tips and resources for starting and promoting a school environmental club.

Science Fair Project Guidebook

It seems that nothing strikes fear in the hearts of students and parents like these three words: science fair project. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

A science fair project is an opportunity to research and learn about things that interest you. And through your studies you will learn how science is basic to everything around us. You will benefit beyond your improved science knowledge. Science fair projects teach you problem-solving skills, improve your written and oral communication skills and give you the satisfaction of completing a well-done project.

This guidebook provides the basic ingredients for a science fair project and tips for a great display as well as suggestions for making a great presentation. Best of all, there are 20 science fair projects complete with easy-to-understand instructions. In addition, there are different subjects, including air, energy, water and recycling.

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