The EarthWays Sustainability Network (ESN) is a year-long teacher professional development program the serves to provide waste and recycling support to educators throughout the St. Louis community. This network of trained educators is dedicated to learning more about waste, waste reduction, and recycling, takes a leadership role in their school's efforts to reduce waste, and provides peer support and guidance to other educators.
ESN teachers train with EarthWays Center education staff for a year - learning about solid waste issues, discovering ways to reduce waste in their school, and implementing new projects to reduce waste and increase recycling rates in the community. Each ESN teacher advises a school Green Team, involving students in solutions to school waste issues.
It is our belief that schools, including teachers and students have an enormous capacity to make a difference in our community. The ESN program prepares teachers to be leaders in empowering their students to take action and solve real-world problems. This program serves to provide knowledge and resources for both students and teachers and to help schools better achieve waste reduction goals. As young learners, students form the knowledge-base and values system that gets carried into their adult lives. These values and judgments impact students’ relationship to the environment and their community as they become active, engaged citizens.
| Special thanks to the St. Louis County Department of Public Health for funding the ESN pilot year through their Recycling/Waste Grant program utilizing County landfill surcharge funds. Continued funding for the program is supported by the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. |
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