Submitted article
Who ever heard of a bicycle powering a hair dryer? It sounds crazy, but Galion High School students showed it could be done during the annual Energy Carnival events at Galion Intermediate School and Galion Primary School.
The group of high school students, known as “Teen Green,” was formed back in the 1990s. The organization is involved in a myriad of projects and programs throughout the Galion City School District.
“This year, a group of the members restarted the recycling program at the Primary and Intermediate schools,” Teen Green co-advisor Nancy Green said. “They go to each building every Friday after school and pick up classroom recycling which they then sort into the appropriate bins located between the two schools.”
The group also does a weekly Friday recycling program at the high school, which includes emptying and sorting “stuff” from the classroom recycling boxes and the two plastic bottle barrels in the cafetorium. They also are active with the community recycling that takes place the second and fourth Thursdays of every month in front of the Middle School.
“Teen Green is also restarting a program that gives tree seedlings to the third grade students at the Intermediate School in recognition of Arbor Day,” Green said. “A small group of Teen Green members went to the Intermediate building to hand out the trees and gave a brief speech about why they are getting the trees.”
The Teen Green Energy Carnival has been done since the mid-1990s. The group’s members go to the Primary and Intermediate school buildings and play games with the younger students that deal with energy. The highlight of the program is the Energy Bike which, when pedaled, can run a hairdryer, radio and lights.
“It is an educational group which teaches how to preserve the earth with recycling and learning about other ‘natural’ ways to be ‘green’,” Teen Green member Tiffany Burchett said. “It is also a lot of fun to share what we know with the younger students through the Energy Carnival and by giving tree seedlings to the third graders for Arbor Day.”
The 2014-2015 Teen Green officers include: Clair Erlsten, President; Tiffany Burchett, Vice President; Kelly Baker, Recording Secretary; Makaila Grimes, Attendance Secretary; and Gillian Garverick, Treasurer. Linda Wilson serves as the co-advisor for the group with Nancy Green.
To learn more about Teen Green and the programs they sponsor in the Galion City School District, please contact Nancy Green or Linda Wilson at 419-468-6500.