Recycling Education Programs
EnviroSchool is Cool!
Each year since 1998 the Environmental Services Department (ESD) hosts "EnviroSchool," a fun and educational workshop that teaches children to care for the environment. The EnviroSchool "scientists" visit thirty five San Diego schools throughout the school year to perform a variety of fun and innovative activities for the students. The activities are very student-involved so as much participation as possible is obtained. At the close of this year's EnviroSchool, approximately 4,000 students will have completed the program's educational lessons.
From 9 a.m. to noon, approximately 100 fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students attend EnviroSchool. Students are greeted by Dr. Zoolittle--the San Diego Zoo's zany and good-natured "animal researcher" character. During his introductory assembly, Dr. Zoolittle uses magic and animals to teach students about wildlife conservation and recycling through audience interaction and lots of friendly humor. Students then have the opportunity to participate in the following three structured learning activities:
- The Splash Van: A mobile science lab featuring five different stations where kids use computers, microscopes, chemistry experiments and living creatures to learn about water quality and insect life. The lab teaches students the connection between human activities and the health of the environment.
- The Green Machine: An interactive exploration program that teaches agricultural awareness at three stations: a soils research station with live earthworms, the water cycle station with dramatic role play scenarios and costumes, and an integrated pest management station with interactive role play and insect puppets.
- Waste Reduction & Recycling Presentation and the Recycling
Relay: A hands-on presentation with displays of items made with recycled materials that teaches students the importance of waste prevention, reducing, reusing, composting, and recycling followed by a high-energy recycling race where the environment is the winner. The Green Machine, Splash Van and relay are operated by the San Diego County Office of Education.
For more information about the City's "EnviroSchool" program,
please call the Environmental Services Department at 858-694-7000.
EnviroTours for Middle and High School Students!
Beginning in the 2005/2006 school year, the Environmental Services Department (ESD) began an exciting and
successful new program geared toward middle and high school students called "EnviroTour!" An EnviroTour is a grand
tour of the Miramar Landfill that includes many different, unexpected places that play a role in the daily activities
of running a landfill. The tours usually last around three and a half hours for about 45 students (a minimum number
of students must be able to go on the tour for school eligibility).
The tour begins with a short ride by bus to the Miramar Landfill entrance where the landfill employees will guide
the bus to the main face of the landfill where the trash is buried daily. The rest of the tour is comprised of
visits to the following:
Depending on the tour group (either middle school or high school), the bus will either stop at the nearest
Park and Recreation site for a recycling demonstration or will return to the school auditorium/classroom to view
a recycling video. The teacher will also be given a variety of informational handouts, all of which are available
to the students.
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