Celebrating 10 years in North America this year, SCA is honoring the past, present and future of environmental education. The company recognized America Recycles Day this past week, with its 2011 Environmental Education Grant program. SCA is awarding more than $25,000 to 12 schools in the four regions where it has tissue operations: Alabama, Arizona, New York and Wisconsin.
This year, the company is giving three schools in Flagstaff $7,500 for environmental education projects, bringing the total SCA has given through its grant program in this region to more than $20,000 since the grant’s inception in 2007.
“SCA has been operating in North America for more than 10 years, and sustainability has always been a core principle in the way we conduct our business,” said Don Lewis, president of SCA Tissue North America. “Our grant program helps continue our legacy of responsibility by inspiring students to be environmental stewards of the next generation. Teaching them to understand the importance and principles of sustainability will help them ‘walk the talk’ as adults.”
The 2011 Environmental Education Grant winners in Flagstaff are:
- Mt. Calvary Lutheran School, which was awarded $2,500 for equipment and supplies to help the school become the first waste-free school and church in Arizona through recycling and composting, as well as funds to help the school install photovoltaic panels on its rooftop.
- Montessori Charter School of Flagstaff, which was awarded $2,500 for equipment and supplies to develop a garden program for each grade level, first through 12th, which will happen in conjunction with the construction of a new high school campus and provide opportunities for advanced sustainability lessons, cross-curricular engagement and multi-grade collaboration as the older grades help the younger ones to establish their gardens.
- Haven Montessori Children’s House, which was awarded $2,500 for facility upgrades that include the installation of a rainwater catchment system to help the school teach by an example and encourages conservation of water and reuse grey water where possible.
Since 2007, SCA has awarded nearly $150,000 in funding to approximately 70 elementary, middle and high schools in the communities where its employees work and live.