Students in Robyn Yorker’s classroom at the Stepping Stones Day Program really took their academic unit on reducing, reusing and recycling to heart for their entry into a national milk carton construction contest.
Members of The Blue Team invested themselves with repurposing items such as milk cartons to reduce waste at Fourth Street School in Fulton. The inspiration behind the Carton 2 Garden contest came from the students’ genuine love of the animals in the school science room. They brainstormed ideas for an indoor garden design and came up with the notion of growing fresh greens for the classroom’s bearded dragon, Draco, and tortoise, Tortellini.
The class researched plants that the animals may eat and could be grown in limited space. Seeds were then purchased and planting began. The project’s design phase required more collaborative thinking and the students collectively decided “The Peace Train” would be a good representation of ways to transport food to the animals, while keeping in mind the need to be kind to nature.
Yorker’s class previously won a Carton 2 Garden milk carton construction contest and a $1,000 prize. While winning another contest would be delightful, Yorker said another win for the students had been their ability to overcome social, emotional and behavior challenges.
Winners of the spring contest will be announced May 12. Prizes up to $5,000 will be awarded.
Stepping Stones Day
Program students, from left: Tyler Richards,
Craig Chappell, Jayson Rettig and Marc Chetney
show off their
classroom’s Carton 2 Garden milk carton construction contest
entry
of “The Peace Train.”
