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Our columnist learns a lesson about playing well with others at school.
Strength in numbers. Many hands make light work. It takes a village. We get it. Yet somehow I didn’t.
I have a bleeding heart for the Earth; I think about it all the time and genuinely derive joy from doing things that help support our planet. My family is onboard, and I’m connected to environmentally minded community members who make an impact in a myriad of ways. Yet I only recently discovered how essential community is for driving positive environmental change. Somewhere along the way, I forgot that community counts.
We are blessed to have healthy young children who love school. Since I also love their school, and the kids will inherit the Earth, it felt both obvious and efficient to aim my passion for helping the Earth at their school. And so, I did.
When our oldest child entered elementary school, I joined the school’s existing Green Team, an official group composed of parents who volunteer to help drive Earth-friendly programs. I immediately met interesting, capable people who got stuff done. I learned over time how critical that community element was to our work. Over the course of several years, families graduated, teachers retired or moved away, COVID … and for no specific reason, I ended up a team of one. Not surprisingly, I was neither effective nor satisfied. I got nothing done; I failed.
I’m not one to give up and schools are wonderful places for hatching and tending new ideas, so I tried again in a new school year. But this time I did it differently. I used existing channels — in-person events, the school’s online family portal — to directly ask people to join the Green Team.
In three months, our group has built more friendships and accomplished more tasks than I was able to on my own in two years. The desire lived in the community all along; we just needed to organize and activate.
And ta-da! We now have 18 community members committed to helping drive environmental projects, big and small. In three months, our group has built more friendships and accomplished more tasks than I was able to on my own in two years. The desire lived in the community all along; we just needed to organize and activate.
A few things we’ve accomplished this year:
- Eliminated single-use plastic bottles and juice boxes from campus events
- Increased composting and recycling
- Decreased littering
And it has been infectious. Excited about composting, making and hanging owl boxes, and eating from the school garden, the students have started a Green Club. Their first act will be providing coaching for peers on proper waste sorting. Students who have nothing for the landfill get to ring a bell. Community making it fun!
My experience feels like a final release from COVID isolation, as I’ve had to relearn how to be in community and depend on community. So, shame on me for not asking for help earlier, and hallelujah to regeneration, evolution, progression, and learning in general. Older and wiser? Maybe. In community? Definitely. I’d forgotten how good it feels and how much it can accomplish.
Do It on Your Own Turf
How can you activate your community?
- Invite people to join you! It’s not always obvious how to join an effort. Actively inform people through events, email, and WhatsApp, etc.
- Hold regular in-person meetings. People are busy, and in-person communication counts.
- Divide and conquer. Specialize; build teams within the team.
- Parallel process. Spin multiple projects simultaneously, because some will be quick and easy (i.e., switch to all-recycled paper products on campus) and others will be a slow burn (i.e., designing and installing an interactive sundial).
- Listen (on a deadline). Listen to relevant stakeholders, keep meetings time-bound, and make decisions on the spot!
- Celebrate progress. Communicate wins clearly and enthusiastically, be they big or small. Positive reinforcement fuels us!
