Tray Chic: Students offer MCPS a Lesson about Leadership

For Immediate Release

Event: Monday, July 27th, 2009; 6:00pm

Photo & Interview Opportunity: Youth, Leadership & Climate Focus

Contact: Nadine Bloch or Brenda Platt pbesyaclub@gmail.com

Tray Chic: Students Offer MCPS

a Lesson about Leadership

in a Changing Climate

9—12 year olds to testify at Board of Education Meeting

Mini-Rally preceding

WHEN: Monday, July 27th, 2009; 6:00pm Mini Rally

6:30pm Public Comment Period

WHERE: Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD 20850

WHAT: The Young Activist Club at Piney Branch Elementary School will take the podium to testify in support of getting rid of styrofoam lunch trays and for installation of a dishwasher and reusable lunch trays and flatware.

WHO: Elementary School students, concerned and supportive citizens

The Young Activist Club (rising 4^th, 5^th, 6^th graders from Piney Branch Elementary School)

Montgomery Council Board of Education Members

WHY:

H- (rising 6th grader): Our school uses styrofoam lunch trays that are terrible for the environment and are made from a neurotoxin, which is bad for our bodies. County school administrators think that we shouldn’t put a dishwasher into our school because it will cost money and there will be costs to pay someone to operate the dishwasher...But they already spend money to buy the toxic styrofoam lunch trays, drive them to the school, and for school workers to handle them and put them in the garbage, and then to ship them away to the incinerator, and burn them. We think the County should pay for workers not trash. Plus they have failed to realize that the Young Activist Club has raised more than $10,000 dollars, so we don’t need money from the County to help us in this pilot project. If we were in charge of economics lessons, we would always add the costs that the county isn’t including, like air pollution, water pollution, kid’s health and more.

J- (rising 6th grader): The County's estimate that the cost of installing a washer is $57,000 is nonsense. The young activists researched this, and the cost was not that much. According to our research the cost for a reconditioned washer is $2,000 to $5,000.

A- (rising 5th grader): Why do schools buy styrofoam trays? Not to save money. Or to save anything. It actually costs more to buy styrofoam than to buy 350 reusable trays and a dishwasher. Some people think paper trays are the solution. They are wrong. It is only a little friendlier to the earth. It would eat up trees and still be thrown out and not be reusable. .... So I ask you why? Why do we spend money on our own death?

C- (rising 6th grader): Our simple, quick and easy scheme to overthrow the mass destruction of unhealthy styrofoam trays is to replace them with hard plastic trays... At this point, we have the support of the Takoma Park City Council. We attended a hearing and spoke to the Mayor, sent letters to officials, and talked with one School Board Member. Will the County Council and School Board join the City Council in supporting the Young Activists' cries of protest for a change--possibly a better one?

Young Activist Club Members will be available for interviews at the Board meeting.

(please see spreadsheets below for specifics on cost analysis.)

YACvMCPSCostComparisonbpedits_2_

Thanks to the Young Activist Club for forwarding their Press Release and supporting cost analysis to the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland blog! (The names of the students have been redacted.)

Letter in support of Young Activists Club pilot project from Councilmember Valerie Ervin to Superintendent Weast and Board of Education President Brandman.

UPDATE July 27, 2009, Baltimore Sun: Saving the Environment with Plastic Lunch Trays

UPDATE July 28, 2009, WAMU: MD Child Activists Lobby Education Board

UPDATE July 29, 2009: Tray Chic, Bravo! with video of Young Activists Club public comment to MCPS Board of Education.