SFS Projects and Best Practices

Trash to Treasures: Longmont Educator Makes Reusing Fun

By Erica Henningsen, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Instead of throwing away used items such as Styrofoam food containers and plastic berry baskets, wouldn't it be fun to give these items to children to play with? That is exactly what Stephanie Ohlsen of Longmont, Colorado, is doing. Stephanie has an 18-year history of working with children as an elementary school teacher, daycare provider, coach and parent. "I love to create an environment that is conducive to children learning and discovering on their own. Kids take such pride in things they've figured out by themselves."

While on a family vacation several years ago, Stephanie had the opportunity to visit the Indianapolis Children's Museum and the Children's Museum of Illinois. Both museums had educational programs for kids that involved learning about the world through different types of activities. For Stephanie, that experience led to the realization that Longmont and surrounding communities could benefit from a similar program. And the idea for Discovery Days at the Longmont Museum was born.

Stephanie began Discovery Days, a parent - child, activity-based program, in the fall of 1997. She serves as a facilitator for the four or more activities organized around a weekly theme. Activities vary and involve everything from art projects to science experiments to dramatic plays. Themes from the Spring 1999 schedule, for example, include Creatures of the Sea, The Five Senses, Colors in My World, and Crawly, Squirmy Things.

An announcement of grant opportunities through the Boulder County Recycling and Composting Authority gave Stephanie another idea. In February 1998, Stephanie began "Trash to Treasures," an expansion of Discovery Days, after receiving grants from the Boulder County Recycling and Composting Authority, the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, and the Longmont Community Foundation. The premise of Trash to Treasures is items that would normally be thrown away or possibly recycled can be used for Discovery Days activities. Stephanie made a commitment that at least 25 percent of all Discovery Days activities would use recycled materials. In practice, an average of 51 percent of Discovery Days activities incorporate recycled materials, thereby doubling Stephanie's original commitment on the grant applications.

Stephanie gets her ideas for the multitude of Discovery Days activities through research and inspiration. She has a stack of children's activity books that serves as an excellent resource and she has become adept at modifying the activities to incorporate recycled materials and to fit her weekly themes. Stephanie doesn't consider herself to be artistic, just motivated by her commitment to children and the community. Examples of Trash to Treasures activities include:

• Name tag buttons… using juice can lids.
  
  
• Mud painting… using boards from an old wading pool.
  
  
• Giant worms… using toilet paper tubes and old pantyhose.
  
  
• Maracas… using dead light bulbs.
  
  
• Santa windsocks… using two-liter plastic bottles and plastic grocery bags.
  
  

In addition to this sampling of activities, Stephanie has also created a worm bin out of a plastic tub, shredded newspaper, and live worms. Children can bring food scraps for the worms and, over time, see the worms turn the newspaper and food into compost.

Acquiring materials for the Trash to Treasures projects requires little effort. Stephanie uses many items from her own family's trash. She notes, though, that, "Not much gets thrown away in my house."

Periodically, Stephanie prepares a list of needed items and has found that people from the community are very receptive to collecting those items for future Trash to Treasures projects. Organizations and individuals also donate paper and other materials. Unused materials are taken to Eco-Cycle in Longmont.

Parents and children are welcome to drop in for Discovery Days and Trash to Treasures at the Longmont Museum on most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for either the morning session (9:00 to 11:30 a.m.) or the afternoon session (12:30 to 2:00 p.m.). The museum is located at 375 Kimbark Street in Longmont, Colorado. Discovery Days is free of charge, though donations are always welcomed. For more information on Discovery Days and Trash to Treasures, call the Longmont Museum at (303) 651-8374.