Project School Board is a unique approach to connect future builders, recycling, education, and the community while providing skills training and creating demand for recycled products that divert plastic waste from landfills and the environment.
High school skilled and technical services students will be provided with “kits” to build items like park benches, outdoor furniture, planters, and more using Solutions Plastic Lumber made from hard-to-recycle plastics. Through community partnerships, these durable items can then be placed in schools or communities, providing resources to demonstrate students’ abilities, the value of recycling these previously wasted resources, and community pride.
Currently many schools and charitable groups, e.g., Goodwill’s YouthBuild, do not have sufficient funds to purchase lumber and thus rely on donations or students to self-fund their projects, limiting their size and scope. With corporate and brand sponsorship we envisage making these kits readily available to schools and nonprofit community and service groups across the entire state.
The Circular Economy and Comprehensive Education
Project School Board enables students to develop their skills working with a plastic lumber, a product that may not have been previously available in their curriculum. In addition, Project School Board provides educators with the opportunity to educate on wider topics such as the circular economy. Students, their families and towns are engaged and thus become acquainted with how discarded plastics can transform into a wide range of useful and valuable products. This in turn can help strengthen school and community recycling programs as well as local economic development.
The Kits
The individual kits will be designed with both the student and educator in mind. Plan drawings and the necessary lumber will all be included in the kit. The lumber can be worked with standardized tools and fixings and will not require additional resources to be provided by the school or student outside what would be considered readily available currently.
Kit Distribution
With the assistance of community partners to promote the project, educators and community groups across the entire state will be able to order the kits through our identified wholesalers.
Train the Teachers
Training sessions will be provided for interested teachers not experienced working with plastic lumber. We anticipate these training sessions will be made available with the facilitation assistance of the Nebraska Department of Education and supporting businesses and tradesmen.
Brand and Corporate Sponsorship
Brand and corporate sponsorship will make Project School Board possible. In turn, supporters gain a very tangible and lasting means to show their commitment to children, communities and the environment. Ultimately, Project School Board furthers the circular economy and the recycling of plastics most vulnerable to become wastes. Finished projects placed within the schools or community may sport a plaque recognizing the supporting groups.
