Cumberland Community Action Program (CCAP) Head Start children are taught countless early education skills like reading, writing, counting and learning their colors.  One color they’ve been learning a lot about lately is the color green. Students recently participated in project created to teach children the importance of recycling.

Annie Kelly, Head Start Child Services Manager, posed a challenge to two Head Start teachers, urging them to come up with a way to get children excited about recycling.

“It’s really important to help children understand the importance of recycling while they’re young,” Kelly said.  “That way, we can make an impact on how they think about recycling in the future.”

The project consisted of students designing and building a large robot out of recycled materials.  Students collected boxes, plastic bottles, newspapers, and various other recyclable items to construct the project.  They were shown what types of items can be recycled and taught the importance of recycling.

“This project was great because it teaches children that everyday items like bottles and cans can be recycled and later used for something else,” Kelly said.  “I think it’s important that we’re teaching children at a young age to care about the environment.”

Kelly said she anticipates incorporating more recycling into class projects in the future and also hopes to eventually have recycling bins in all the Head Start locations.

Head Start is not the only division of CCAP that is making an effort to “go green.”  The Weatherization Assistance Program is making the community greener by reducing home energy consumption.

The Weatherization Assistance Program provides aid to traditionally low-wealth individuals in reducing home energy expenditures by identifying cost-effective energy improvements and then performing them on the dwelling.

Weatherizing a home typically includes sealing air leaks and drafts, inspecting and replacing heating and cooling units, installing insulation, installing compact fluorescent light bulbs and low-flow faucets and showerheads.

According to Weatherization/ASPIRE Director Stephanie Ashley, these improvements drastically cut down on the amount of energy used within the home and thus, help reduce carbon dioxide levels.

“Cutting down carbon emissions is a very important thing,” Ashley said.  “The average heating reduction for a home that has been weatherized is 23 percent, so doing this makes a huge difference,” she added.

According to the Weatherization Assistance Program Technical Assistance Center, every $1 invested in the program returns $2.73 in energy and non-energy related benefits.  Weatherization mitigates roughly 1.61 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year in homes heated with natural gas and more for homes heated with fuel oil.

According to Ashley, educating weatherization clients is also an important step in reducing energy consumption.

“We educate clients from the moment they walk in the door,” she said.  “We teach them skills to lower their energy usage like turning the thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer.  We tell them to wash their clothes in cold water, and if possible, use a clothes line to dry them on.  These are simple things anyone can do.”

Ashley notes that she hopes to incorporate more recycling into the weatherization office.  The office currently recycles paper and Ashley would like to include bins for other recyclables as well.

“I also try to get employees in the habit of turning the lights off if they’re not going to be in their office, or to use natural light from their windows,” she said.  “With everything we’re trying to do here, we really hope to reduce the carbon footprint and that is the first step of going green.”

For more information on CCAP Head Start programs, call 910-487-9800.  To find out more about the Weatherization Assistance Program, call 910-223-0116.