Sustainability Club members at a river clean-up last year. Photo Credits: Maddie Bollman
Abbi Clark, Staff Member of The Powderhorn
From clothing drives to solar panel installations, Watauga High School’s Sustainability Club has exceeded many of its goals, making the school as environmentally-friendly as possible. This year, they plan to continue that trend by introducing new initiatives not just for club members but for the entire student body.
“We felt that condensing the committees into three main groups would allow us to add more projects, split them up more evenly, and dedicate more time to each one,” said Maddie Bollman, Sustainability Club Social Media Manager. “Of course, they can still overlap but this way it's more organized for us as officers to know where our projects should go and for the members so then they can see our three core values which are to learn, act and inspire the student body at Watauga.”
Previously the committees were based on physical activities of the club such as composting, recycling, and fundraising. This year the focus shifts to three new groups: Learn, Act, and Inspire.
“In previous years there had been a lot of overlap with different projects and committees, and on who should work on what,” said Sam Rex, Sustainability Club President. “This year it’s a lot more distinct and there’s a really good platform now to get more done and be more efficient in our projects and our work.”
Back in 2022, the Sustainability Club received a grant to install solar panels that now power the school’s concession stands and greenhouse. This year, they aim to further expand this project.
“We plan to get kiosks for the solar panels that will display digital information on how much energy the solar panels are collecting and how much of that is being used in the concession stands and throughout the school,” Rex said. “We’d really like it to be an opportunity for science classes to be able to see this data and do projects with it.”
The club's other priorities will include outreach and gaining more recognition among non-member students, more than in previous years.
“We want to do projects like designing posters and newsletters that can be accessed by everyone so they can get little tidbits of information,” said Lola Herring, Sustainability Club Vice President.
Sustainability Club actively updates its followers on social media, especially on Instagram, where they share plans, information, and club activities.
“Reaching out on Instagram can inspire people to be more sustainable and show them the impacts that their ways make on the environment,” said Maya Pennington, junior club member.
The Sustainability Club will continue to inspire and transform Watauga High School and its community through dedication and teamwork.
“It’s one of the largest growing clubs at the high school,” Pennington said. “A lot of people like to join and give back to the community.”
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