Aiken Elementary Going into Fifth Year as a South Carolina Green Steps School
Aiken Elementary School is looking forward to starting its fifth year as a participant in the South Carolina Green Steps Program, a program which recognizes schools in South Carolina that take annual sustainable steps toward becoming more environmentally responsible.
In order for a school to become a certified Green Steps school in South Carolina, it must be active in six ongoing sustainability projects.
“The idea is that the projects that you’re doing become part of the routine and the fabric of your school,” said Angela Clifford, an AES kindergarten teacher who leads many of the school’s Green Steps projects.
Some of the school’s projects include the implementation of indoor and outdoor composting, outdoors cleanup days, upcycling projects and gardening. Aiken Elementary also participates in a Trex recycling program which involves donating unwanted plastics that will be repurposed into sustainable outdoor products.
Clifford believes that the best way to show children the importance of the environment is through hands-on learning.