Project of the Week: "T-Shirt Transformation"

Every day Roots & Shoots groups are taking action to improve their local environments, and make the world a better place for people and animals. 

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March 22, 2013

Spicewood Roots and Shoots of Austin, TX came up with a pretty creative and environmentally friendly idea! They collected old t-shirts, and spent a whole day transforming these articles of clothing into reusable shopping bags. They cut the sleeves and the bottom portions of the shirts, and sewed the bottoms together. This way, the neck and sleeve straps could be used as handles for the new shopping bags! If you’re still using plastic or paper bags at the grocery store, spend an hour or so making your own reusable bag like this R&S group!

March 15, 2013

Holy Ghost Catholic School (NM) participated in a Kids Against Hunger event hosted at their local high school. Some students were given bottles in which to collect change, while other students in Kindergarten through 8th grade decided to each give $10. This enabled them to participate in the food packing event at the nearby high school, at which they spent about 2-3 hours packing food. Approximately 216,000 servings of food were packed in total, and $2,900 was raised for families in need! What a great job!

March 8, 2013

Mamaroneck Library Roots & Shoots (NY) decided to beautify the empty patio at their new facility. With the help of the Mamaroneck Garden Club, these Roots & Shoots members decided to plant large pots of mixed flowers and herbs! Not only will this give the patio a more natural feel, but it will attract wildlife as well as students who come to read! This group had to coordinate with the Garden Club members, who helped to provide containers and plants for the patio. Keep up the great work!

March 1, 2013

Yury Schulman’s Chess Without Borders decided to raise money and awareness about children living in the slums of Delhi, India. Their focus was to help a severely injured burn victim receive an education after enough money was raised for her plastic surgery. Chess Without Borders donated all proceeds from their chess events to this charity in India, and have made a huge dent in the $30,000 raised for this victim. Educational supplies were also collected and donated to a school in the slums of India. What a wonderful job!

February 22, 2013

Wickliffe Roots and Shoots (OH) members decided they wanted to raise money to help JGI after the fire at the Tchimpounga! They held bake sales at the local elementary school, and decided all proceeds would be donated to Tchimpounga. Parents and kids baked the cookies together, and spent over an hour decorating them. Bookmarks and reusable bags were sold as well, and their very own R&S scrapbook was displayed! At the end of the sale, $172 was raised for Tchimpounga. Awesome job!

 

February 15, 2013

Save the World R&S (MD) is trying to promote the usage of reusable bags at grocery stores through passing a plastic bag fee in their county. This Roots & Shoots club has testified in person and has written statements in front of county and state legislators in order to hopefully pass the act that would charge people several cents for using a plastic bag. They firmly believe that it would decrease plastic use, as well as the amount of litter on the streets. We agree!

 

February 8, 2013

McKinley Elementary School (PA) spread awareness about a wildlife rehab center that provides care to injured native animals in Pennsylvania. Animals that are too injured to return to the wild are kept at Schuylkill Center for rehab. McKinley Elementary School made posters that featured four of the permanent residents of this wildlife rehab center, one of which includes a popular opposum naked Sneaker. One R&S parent even sold miniature crocheted versions of the four animals, which was given to those who donated $3 or more. Great job, McKinley Elementary!

 

February 1, 2013

Cornwall Consolidated School R&S (CT) members helped raise over $500 for animals that were lost or hurt during Hurricane Sandy. The Little Guild Animal Shelter in Cornwall rescued over 90 dogs and cats that were stranded during the hurricane, but were unable to receive help from the Connecticut government to spay and neuter the pets because they were from out of state. Concerned and driven to help the animals, Cornwall Consolidated School R&S members placed 19 collection cans throughout their small town to raise money for the distressed pets! How inspiring!

January 25, 2013

GW Anthropology Roots & Shoots (D.C.) did an amazing job volunteering with Roots & Shoots on the National Mall for the National Day of Service last weekend! The GW members spent many hours explaining Roots and Shoots to dozens of people who were interested in getting involved, and also helped others with the various projects going on. This included creating paper birds to use as decals on windows to prevent bird accidents, as well as cutting out and designing light switch covers to help remind people to save energy and turn lights off! Wonderful job, GW Anthropology Roots and Shoots!

January 18, 2013

SCVi Roots and Shoots (CA) members decided to clean up their local park in a fun way... Through an exciting scavenger hunt! They decided to clean while they ventured to find their next clues, and their list of scavenger items included leaves, recyclable items and other funny objects. SCVi R&S members placed garbage in trash cans, which had the next clues attached to them. Afterwards, they used the fallen leaves to make a craft project. What a fun way to make a difference!

January 11, 2013

Last year, Friends of Nature (NY) arranged a visit to a local food pantry that helps feed families and shelters in need. The children were particularly moved by a film about hunger they watched while at the food pantry, and were inspired by these personal stories they saw in the movie. They not only brought food to the shelters, but encouraged other families to do so as well. Families have since been donating food to the pantry regularly!

January 4, 2013

This year, Chimpettes (CT) organized an ongoing project in which they make 100 sandwiches for a local homeless shelter every month! This Roots & Shoots group relies on donations from community members in order to buy ingredients to make the sandwiches. Every month, Chimpettes make and drop the sandwiches off in order to help the shelter provide food for the people who come in. Chimpettes has also started collecting diapers for the babies at the shelter. What a great way to help others!

December 28, 2012

Global Green Leaders (CA) raised money to donate to The Gentle Barn, a sanctuary for neglected and abused animals. Group members made signs and asked friends and family in the community to eat at a local yogurt shop that agreed to profit-share for this wonderful cause. Global Green Leaders then took a tour of the barn and were able to see the animals they were working so hard to help. By raising money for The Gentle Barn, this Roots & Shoots group was able to provide resources for animals to help them have better lives. Great job!

December 21, 2012

Lauralton Hall Environmental Club (CT) held an environmentally conscious fashion show in order to raise awareness about recycling throughout their school. “Trash the Runway” was a school-wide event that included over 50 girls modeling creative outfits made out of materials that are normally thrown away. Grocery bags, index cards, and bottle caps were only a few of the items used as garments during this fashion show. Over 400 students were able to attend and understand the importance of reusing and recycling!

December 14, 2012

Forest Grove Roots & Shoots (OR) set out to do an Invertebrate Bio-Blitz! This Roots & Shoots group divided into teams and headed out to seven different locations to see different invertebrates living in Hyla Woods. In preparation, they developed a protocol that involved digging in the soil, shrubs, and trees, and then used the inventory they developed to create a “snap shot” of the insects on that particular day. They plan to continue this Bio-Blitz in the future in order to better understand and protect this ecosystem!

 

December 7, 2012

Saving Wonderland (NJ) has been working very hard to install and take care of a large vegetable garden at one of the group leaders homes! Members of this Roots & Shoots group have been tending the garden throughout the growing season, and continue to take the vegetables and herbs to a local food bank as they become ripe. What a great way to be sustainable and while giving back during this holiday season!

November 30, 2012

One More Generation (GA) is taking action to end the poaching of Rhinos! All over South Africa, rhinos are being hunted for their horns, and their numbers are sadly dwindling. Cater and Olivia, the two founders of this Roots & Shoots group, have launched their Rhino Letter Writing Campaign in effort to collect 1,000 letters from people like YOU! The letters will be addressed and hand delivered by the group members to South African President Zuma, asking him to protect this wonderful species. Help them reach this amazing goal by the beginning of 2013, and get involved today!

November 23, 2012

Carmel Area Roots & Shoots (IN) members spent their time volunteering for Reverb, an organization that brings concerts to different venues while conducting grassroots education and outreach with fans around the world. This Roots & Shoots group taught concert-goers about how they can lead a sustainable and eco-friendly life, much like the concert performer Jason Mraz himself. In addition, they raised money for “Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc” by selling Jason Mraz stickers. Great job!

November 16, 2012

Penn Roots & Shoots (CA) has found a fun way to turn waste into art! Members from this group collected bottle caps from friends, families, and peers, and decided to use these to create message murals around their school campus! Their goal was to recycle waste that would normally just be thrown away, and to do something inspirational with it. They have now created beautiful and uplifting messages all around their school. Great way to finish up National Recycling Week 2012!

November 9, 2012

Students and staff from Old County Road School in Rhode Island held a fundraiser to raise money for National Georgraphic’s “Cause an Uproar” Program. The idea of the fundraiser was to help raise awareness and money in order to save the world’s endangered Big Cats. With a $1 donation, students and staff could choose to wear animal printed clothing and costumes to school on Halloween. At the end of the fundraiser, OCRS Smithfield R&S raised $100!

November 2, 2012

17 members of The Oakland Zoo Teen Wild Guides (CA) traveled all the way to Malaysia this summer in order to work with an Oakland Zoo partner, The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center. This group works to protect sun bears, which are usually trapped or kept illegally as pets. The Oakland Zoo Teens carefully planned this trip for a whole year, and upon arriving, began making enrichment for the animals. They handmade 4 firehose hammocks for the sun bears, along with papier-mache boxes! They are now working on an enrichment book to send back to Borneo. Great job!

October 26, 2012

Seven Hills R&S (OH) hosted “Congo Week” by holding events that raised awareness about issues occurring in the Congo. They had an assembly about the DRC, and brought guest speakers to classrooms. A year-long cell phone collection was held in order to recycle the coltan used in mining, which will help save the people and gorillas whose habitat is being destroyed. Seven Hills R&S even hosted a “no electronics day” in which nobody could use electronics, and in addition, a bake sale was held to raise money for children in the Congo. Wonderful job, Seven Hills!

October 19, 2012

The Sacramento Zoo Teens (CA) have spent countless hours planning, creating, and utilizing education stations to inform Sacramento Zoo visitors about different animals, their environments, and conservation efforts. They have incorporated games, activities, and even crafts into these stations, all in the effort to teach about conservation. Some fun stations include Sea Life, River Otter Puppets, and Pollination Stations. Not only are these stations fun and entertaining, but they are also a way to teach others about saving our wildlife. Way to go!

October 12, 2012

Earth Friends Roots & Shoots of Murphy, Texas, invited their whole co-op to help them decorate and fill 88 paper bags for homeless families. The group covered the bags with uplifting words and images, and filled the bags with toiletries, socks, water, anti-bacterial hand wipes, granola bars, and countless other items. This project really caused the group to think about what it would be like to be homeless, and inspired them to help those in need. Very cool!

October 5, 2012

Common Ground of De Pere, Wisconsin, spent five weeks organizing a shoe drive for the organization “Soles 4 Souls” in order to send shoes to people in developing countries who don’t have any. The group learned that 300 million shoes were thrown away last year by people in the United States, when they could have easily donated them to help others. Two participating stores helped this cause, as well as countless friends, family members, and other good samaritans. In total, 250 pairs of shoes were collected and donated! The group learned about the importance of recycling and not wasting, in addition to helping others and following up with businesses and local stores. Great job!

September 28, 2012

Hudson Valley Home School Roots & Shoots celebrated Peace Day by making and flying their very own peace dove kites at the top of Burger Hill in Rhinebeck, NY, which has a gorgeous view of the Hudson River. In addition, they played team-building activities as well as peace-promoting games. They also made an awesome film about peace, which you can view here! What a great way to celebrate the 2012 International Day of Peace.

September 21, 2012

St. Croix Valley Roots & Shoots (MN) built a frog pond in the St. Croix Valley to help alleviate some of the habitat loss that has been a result of development. They raised $400 for this frog pond, and even went before the City Council to get approval! The group started on April 28th, which is Save the Frogs Day, and wanted to help save the frogs and keep them safe and far from roads. The pond is now full with water plants and frogs, and group members have learned about soil types, water plants, and the governmental process. Great job!

 

September 14, 2012

Cincinnati Area Roots & Shoots members spent a day testing water quality and collecting aquatic organisms that could help them determine the health of the water. While on board the river boat, students learned about the importance of the watershed and addressed what should be done to protect it. The group started this project to support River REACH Program and to help them obtain data. They look forward to working with REACH again for many years to come!

September 7, 2012

Members of Under the Same Sun RS (FL) decided to decorate wooden jewelry boxes to give to all of the women currently residing at their local domestic violence shelter. They bought the wooden boxes and then spent many hours painting them and decorating them with jewels and other materials. This RS group knew that many of the women in this shelter were mothers, and wanted to find a way to help them feel special on Mother’s Day. They even gave jewelry boxes to the women who weren’t mothers either. They decided to name this project, Survivor Jewelry Boxes. Keep it up!

August 31, 2012

Ever think about how much stuff you throw out when transitioning from one place to another? Like an old college dorm to a new one? Students in the Doane College Chapter in Nevada definitely took notice. During move-out week, students in this R & S group set up boxes and donations areas around residence halls on campus. They had collection areas for people who wanted to leave appliances, furniture, books, school supplies, and even non-perishable food items that they no longer needed. With a large number of volunteers, this group was able to raise over $300 and donate these great items to families who really needed them! Way to chuck it for charity!

August 23, 2012

The Graceful Planet (CT) group collected unused and unwanted pieces of fabric and pretty cloth to make and sell hair accessories in order to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity! They collectively made headbands, clips, and attached feather extensions for those who wanted to sport this trendy look. At the end of the  day, the 10 member group raised $100 for their local Connecticut chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Way to go!

 

August 16, 2012

Ridge and Valley Enrichment, also known as R.A.V.E. Roots & Shoots (NJ) has been volunteering at the Antler Ridge Wildlife Sanctuary, which treats and releases small injured mammals back into their natural habitat. They see a wide variety of animals, including baby deer, cute rabbits, and even raccoons. This Roots & Shoots group has spent countless hours volunteering their time to help make a difference. This long-term project has included a stream clean-up, weeding gardens, and making seed bombs. Way to help!

 

August 9, 2012

Project Orangs (MI) met up with Kellogg brand to discuss their current palm oil policy. The goal of this meeting was for Kellogg to understand more about sustainable and “deforestation-free” palm oil, with the hope of future collaboration and a switch towards more environmentally friendly palm oil in their products. Afterwards, Kellogg agreed to speak with Project Orangs experts! 

 

August 2, 2012

Temecula S.T.E.M. Club (CA) handcrafted some amazing Flip Flops for Friends in Kenya! The group used sharpies, fabric, and other crafts to decorate the flip flops, which they packaged together and sent to their friends all the way over in Kenya. The group figured the flip flops would make not only cute gifts, but very helpful and useful presents for those who need them!

 

July 26, 2012

R&S team Friends of Nature (NY) were quite disturbed at the overabundance of catalogues they were receiving every month. Not only did they have no need for these catalogues, but they were wasteful and not good for the environment! The Bywater family called the companies to cancel all the catalogues, and then turned the existing catalogues into cute arts and crafts! They made holiday decorations and gifts for family and friends. Creative Catalogue Reduction is the way to go!

 

July 19, 2012

The Roots & Shoots team at Woodland Hill Montessori Middle School (NY) now have a wonderful Organic School Garden that they can show off! Students decided that growing their very own organic and local garden would benefit themselves and the environment. They have planted watermelons, corn, scallions, parsley, tomatoes, and so many more fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables! They are even going to use the green beans and herbs that they grow in their school lunches from now on. Environmentally friendly, and healthy!

 

 July 13, 2012

Twelve-year-old Luke Z. of the Roots & Shoots group Animal Greenworld (UT) is on a mission to have February 2nd, Groundhogs day, be known as Prairie Dog Day. Prairie dogs are a keystone species and are important to the ecosystem. Animal Greenworld has met with the city council and is working on a petition to present to the Utah State Legislature. Don't forget prairie dogs on February 2nd!

 

 July 6, 2012

The Roots & Shoots team at Holy Ghost Catholic School (NM) has teamed up with the City of Albuquerque's Open Space Department for a variety of conservation projects over the years. Recently, the group went on a field trip to visit Open Space recreation sites to pick up litter and participate in an environmental activity to learn more about the local ecosystem.

 

 June 29, 2012

Animals and Planet Roots & Shoots (MA) invited NEADs (Assistance Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans) to their school to talk to community members. Students learned about guide dogs and the event raised awareness and support for NEADs. They met a dog named Rainbow and raffled off NEADs t-shirts! They cleverly named their project, "Rainbow and Raffles"!

 

 June 22, 2012

Cornwall Consolidated School Roots & Shoots (CT) is on a mission to ban styrofoam from their school. Two fifth graders started a petition to reach their goal. They have put together a list of alternatives to styrofoam that families and the school can use. Their goal is to get all the school staff and students to sign the petition and then they will present it to the principal and the board of education!

 

 June 15, 2012

Yury Shulman's Chess Without Borders (IL) is a unique Roots & Shoots group that recently did a project to raise money and awareness about children living in the slums of Delhi, India. The chess community raised $30,000 to perform 3 plastic surgeries for burn victims in India. The group also raised money for educational supplies to donate to a school in a slum in India.

 

 June 8, 2012

The Roots & Shoots group at The Community Children's Museum (NJ) researched and prepared activities for a public program to show families the benefits of using rechargeable batteries. Home Depot of Rockaway, NJ supported the children by making presentations and giving families that attended a free set of rechargeable batteries with a wall charger. The children ran educational games, activities, and presented a play which they wrote themselves about the effects of one-time use batteries in a landfill.

 

 June 1, 2012

Roots & Shoots group, Planet Protectors (CO), showcased their projects at the "Kids Who Care Share Fair". The group shared their mission for their community and the world while selling handmade baked goods, bookmarks and paper note cards. They also gave out bookmarks with suggestions for how students can make a positive change in their community.

 

 May 25, 2012

Chimpettes, the Roots & Shoots group from Fraser Woods School (CT), visited a farm sanctuary. They helped feed the horses, clean the barns and they shared their love with the animals. The students learned how every animal at the farm is rescued and how each of them has a different job to keep the farm running. How cool!

 

 May 18, 2012

The Roots & Shoots Environmental Science Club at Bellflower High School (CA) raised awareness about recycling electronic waste. Much of their campaign was focused on reducing pressures on natural resources and keeping hazardous waste out of landfills. The group hooked up with local organizations to host a community e-waste event and keep tons of electronics out of local landfills!

 

 May 11, 2012

Students with The Willow School Roots & Shoots group painted and partially constructed a bat house which was then attached to one of our campus buildings. As part of this project, they learned about bat conservation from a local expert. The students also searched the campus for a suitable location for the bat house.

 

 May 3, 2012

The Roots & Shoots team at the Sequoia Park Zoo (CA) helped out with the spring festival to raise money for the zoo! Members helped out by monitoring games and egg/scavenger hunts, and they helped clean up!

 

 April 27, 2012

Riverside Roots and Shoots (IL) is a brand new Roots & Shoots group - and they are off to a fantastic start! For their first project, they spent part of their meeting pulling invasive garlic mustard from an adjacent natural area. Their goal was to help the local village improve the ecology of the area and to gain motivation and inspiration to tackle future projects. The group was very enthusiastic about their first project and are eager to continue making positive change happen in their community!

 

 April 20, 2012

The Roots & Shoots team at Mt. Airy Public Library (NC), Youth Effect, made public service announcements at the local radio station to promote the recycling program initiated by their city. The program, "Go Green by going Blue!" encouraged residents to get their blue recycling container to the curb on their scheduled pick up days. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Good work, Youth Effect!

 

 April 13, 2012

The Friends School of Minnesota Student Council organized a phone-a-thon to encourage members of the school community to volunteer for an overflow homeless shelter. Volunteers helped with the evening and overnight shifts at the shelter and some members of the community hosted families. The group worked with Project Home who share the message, "none of us are home until all of us are home."

 

 April 6, 2012

Honey bees are in trouble and the Jr. Greenleaves Club (FL) are doing something to help! After doing some research about Honey Bees, the club created a presentation to highlight honey bee behavior and what makes them special. Their presentation featured instructions about how to make seed bombs that help create plants nectar and pollen for honey bees!

 

 March 30, 2012

Chestnut Ridge Middle School Roots & Shoots (N.Y.) made Valentine's Day cards and sent them to the CEO of a chocolate company. In their cards, they shared how they felt about the company's involvement in using child slave labor to obtain their cocoa. They asked the company to stop this practice. Their cards were decorated and mailed to join thousands of other cards from New York.

 

 March 23, 2012

Roots & Shoots group, Naturally Curious (DE), has been celebrating the UN International Year of the Bat (2011-12). Students participated in various art projects, activities and games to learn about bats. The group welcomed two guest speakers and assembled a 3-chambered bat house and installed in in a local park!

 

 March 16, 2012

Newton Montessori School Roots & Shoots (MA) has organized a series of food drives. Food collected in these drives were delivered a new, local food pantry. The group is studying food needs and the impact from malnutrition in the United States and around the world.

  

March 9, 2012

Resources for Health Roots & Shoots (OH) heard from guest Tony Carr of "In Defense of Animals". Inspired by Carr, the group began to plan an event for World Week for Animals in Laboratories in April. After an excellent lecture, the group is doing research and and gathering materials for their event in April. We look forward to hearing more!

 

March 2, 2012

Greenwich High School Roots & Shoots (CT) made friendship bracelets and decorated backpacks to send to students at a middle school in Haiti. Along with their gifts, they sent letters of hope. The students in Greenwich were delighted when they received responses in the mail. This brought the GHS Roots & Shoots group closer together and bridged a gap between two countries.

 

February 24, 2012

What is it like for fish to try to find food in dark, murky and polluted water? Bugs & Blooms Roots & Shoots (CA) built walk-in pollution bubbles and pretended to be fish hunting for food. Then, they brainstormed ways to keep the Earth's oceans, rivers, creeks and lakes pollution-free. The group experimented with filters to rid water of glitter, oil, food color and dirt.

 

February 17, 2012

Roots & Shoots at NCSU volunteered at the Carolina Tiger Rescue by helping build fences for new enclosures. Carolina Tiger Rescue is a large cat sanctuary in central NC. Members learned about how the large cats came to be there, the dangers of domesticating large cats, and how the cats lived on a day to day basis. The group was fascinated to learn the effects that people have on large felines when they attempt to domesticate them.

 

February 10, 2012

The Roots & Shoots group at McKinley Elementary School (PA) wrote an original script and created a video to highlight Martin Luther King Jr.'s message of tolerance. Students designed a simple set and costumes and filmed their skit, "A Crayola Conflict". Their video was then aired at a schoolwide MLK assembly on Friday, January 13th. The video will also be steamed on the school district TV channel!

 

February 3, 2012

Chance School Roots & Shoots (KY) was inspired by the Roots & Shoots Superheroes video. The students asked themselves the question: ¿If I had a superpower, what would it be?¿ They put their ideas into words and illustrations. Their superhero messages were then made into greeting cards and sold as sets at the Chance School Holiday Boutique. The group raised over $500 and purchased winter clothing and accessories for children at a local homeless shelter.

 

January 27, 2012

The Global Green Leaders (CA) took time from their busy holiday schedules to help dogs in a local animal shelter. They gathered ingredients and fleece to make and bakehomemade dog treats and toys. Then, they brought their donations to the animal shelter and took the time to care for, play and walk dogs who are looking for good homes. The group felt so proud to have done something helpful for the animals and enjoyed seeing the dogs eat the treats they made.

 

January 20, 2012

Carmel Area Roots & Shoots (IN) hosted an electronics recycling drive in the high school stadium parking lot. From 8am-3pm, a steady stream of people from the community dropped off appliances, batteries, bikes, electronics, paper, cardboard, and more. This event helped prevent 25 tons of trash and toxins from entering landfills. The group also recycled some unique items including two karaoke machines and a Barbie jeep.

 

January 13, 2012

For three days, Lauralton Hall Environmental Club (CT), hosted a Trash-Free-Lunch Marathon to encourage students to reduce the amount of trash generated during lunch. This event was something of a party! Roots & Shoots members distributed reusable containers, permanent water bottles, reusable bags, organic snacks and cruelty-free lotion. On the last day of the marathon, the group held a raffle to celebrate the schools success!

 

January 6, 2012

Happy New Year! The Roots & Shoots group at the College of St. Joseph (VT) volunteered their time and expertise at a fish hatchery. Students helped identify healthy fish eggs and provide them with a good environment for growing and hatching. Soon, fish from this facility will be released to increase biodiversity of nearby lakes and streams.

 

Would you like to have one of your group's projects featured as the Project of the Week? Submit a project report! Once you've submitted a report, your group will be in the running to receive an award for Project of the Week. Be sure to include many details in your report - tell us what made your project special!