How to Start an Environmental Club at School

Have you ever wanted to change the world for the better, but didn't know how? Here's your solution: Start a environments club at your school to keep your school and the local area environmentally friendly. Here is where you'll learn how to have a non- profit environments club that is quite fun, while helping the environment! Read this article to learn how to start an environmental club capable of making substantial environmental change at your school and in your community.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Starting the Group

1
Make a preliminary plan for the club. You need to have the basic things covered before you go any further with your idea. You can expand your ideas later on. You can even create a mission statement for your club, as it will serve as a point of direction for members and demonstrate to the local community the goals of the club.
- The key things to consider are who, what, where, why and when.
2
Decide why you want to start the club. Do you want to have the club to have a theme, like recycling soda cans, or do you just want a club to help the world?
Do this by asking a few friends who like the environment and if they are interested in joining. Hand out leaflets and posters for the club. They can be very effective and as long as you remember all the key details it could mean that you can get a lot of new members. Ask if you can announce in on your school bulletin. That means that people can be reminded of it every time they look at it.
Explain your plans for the group and the importance of it. Answer any concerns they might have and find a way around any problems that may occur.
It is vitally important that you have a teacher supervising the group at all times. It is a good idea to get a biology or geography teacher to supervise as they will probably have more knowledge on the it. They also have access to a lot of domains that students do not, such as meeting areas, materials, funding, the ability to create green-based field trips, and more.
Somewhere like your room, a clubhouse, an empty classroom or a tree house can be a good idea to host meetings. It may be best to have the meetings in the classroom of the teacher supervising.
7
Plan the date and time for the group to meet up. Try having a meeting ever week or fortnight. Choose a suitable time to have the meetings lunchtime is good idea.
- Stick to the same date and time every week.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Hosting the first meeting

Example: The World's Hope Club, Save the Whales Club (for "Save the Whales, you probably need to live near whales.)
2
Step 9.jpg|center]] Sort out the positions for the club. This includes:
- The club president: leader of the club.
- The club executive(s): A substitute in case a member misses a meeting.
- Green Members & trainees: recyclers-in-training.
When making the membership cards or badges, put the members name, a picture of them, their number and email address.
This makes the place more green and eco-friendly.
Is your club going to have badges and a sash? Do you want each member to do at least one good thing each week?
6
If you want to, make a club uniform. When people join, ask them their shirt size, then go out and buy shirts that are the right sizes. They can be any color you want. Green, blue, black, or white would be best, but it's up to YOU.
- Paint a design or your club's logo on the shirts using fabric/craft paint. Return them to your friends.
- Have a club motto to do with recycling. For example reduce reuse recycle.
This can be used the schedule meetings, recording new members, and writing down plans. The recycling kit can be used whenever you go on a trip or do volunteer work.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Maintaining the Group

Try to arrange meetings at the same time every one or two weeks. If you don't have regular meetings, people are going to forget about it. In the meeting, talk and research nature and the environment, start projects to help the environment, and plan activities and green projects. Find and look at nature but don't do anything harmful talk about nature and just enjoy it.
Allow new people to join at any time they want. You don't want to put people off joining. Try letting all age groups throughout the school join, older and younger ones.
3
Start environmental sustainability projects. As a club, everyone should work with members of the school and community to complete sustainability projects that last. Types of projects include:
- Recycling program and Green contest
- Light bulb initiative
- School garden, trail or habitat restoration
- Outdoor classroom construction, or a solar school
- Do a lot of research. Search ideas, news or competitions online based on the theme of the club: the environment. Share anything interesting you find with your group. The more research you do on how we affect the environment, the better the position your club will be in to cultivate sustainability at your school. Remember, knowing is half the battle.
What materials will you need to start and finish your green project? How can you raise money for the materials? Who will help you in the community?
Bring any necessary stuff you need for it beforehand and make sure there is more than enough seats.
6
Make plans. Decide on ways to help your school become eco friendly. You could start a litter picking committee, plant trees in local areas (with permission), ask the janitor for ideas, get recycling bins, save power on computers or start a gardening area within your school.
- Don't fall into the trap of making empty promises, that can turn out very frustrating, make sure when you promise something, you do it. Plan out your ideas carefully and turn them into action.
Though, you should note that most green projects are never "completed". Most are on going and at a minimum will need monitoring.
Use this to test if they remember what they have learned from documentaries and books.
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Keeping Intact the Spirit

These events can be growing your own plants, going to a field trip to a farm, a nature park or a greenhouse, and going to a local park and cleaning up.
On important days, volunteer on a tree-planting or recycling event. Plant lots of flowers and trees in places. Make sure you must be able to take care of the trees.
Recycle cans. Reuse water bottles. Pick up litter. Share the love.
to make your school an environmentally friendly place. Gather ideas on how to do it and let everyone's voice be heard. Let everyone share their ideas. Take note of everyone's ideas and make sure to take everyone's ideas seriously.
Make sure everyone is having a good time there. Ask people what they think of the group and what can be done to improve it.
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Expert Q&A

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Question
How do you sort things out before recycling?
Kathryn Kellogg
Sustainability Specialist
Kathryn Kellogg is the founder of goingzerowaste.com, a lifestyle website dedicated to breaking eco-friendly living down into a simple step-by-step process with lots of positivity and love. She's the author of 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste and spokesperson for plastic-free living for National Geographic.
Kathryn Kellogg
Sustainability Specialist
Expert Answer
The best thing that you can do is to clean it, especially if we're talking about plastic. Also, what gets recycled and what doesn't varies from city to city, so it's best to check with whoever handles your local waste management to see what they accept for recycling.
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Question
What can students do to make the world greener?
Kathryn Kellogg
Sustainability Specialist
Kathryn Kellogg is the founder of goingzerowaste.com, a lifestyle website dedicated to breaking eco-friendly living down into a simple step-by-step process with lots of positivity and love. She's the author of 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste and spokesperson for plastic-free living for National Geographic.
Kathryn Kellogg
Sustainability Specialist
Expert Answer
One of my best tips is to start composting, which can be done in some schools. On average, 60% of all the waste that is thrown away in households and schools is organic matter that can't break down in a landfill that could be composted instead. When thrown away, this waste lives in this limbo-type state releasing methane, a greenhouse gas that is 30 times more powerful than carbon.
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Tips

The biggest tip anyone can offer your environmental club: teamwork leads to exceptional accomplishments. An environmental club must have members that can and will work together to produce change.
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While your club's projects are underway, it is imperative that you get your local community involved. Seeking help from local businesses and informing potential funding agencies should be done prior to commencement of the project. This helps to understand the viability of the project since the community interests are well prioritized (George, secondary school teacher, Kenya)
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get pets if you can and take care of them.
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Warnings

Be warned, once your environmental club gets its research rolling, it will be tough to select just one project, as schools dramatically impact the environment. However, your club, especially in its first years, should focus on one project at a time.
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Don't try and catch animals and insects because you can get hurt.
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Don`t be a hypocrite, do what you teach.
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Some people may quit the club because it isn't fun, so find some motivators.
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If you go overboard with the activities, your friends may not think it is fun and quit.
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