As part of their Alcoa W5 project, students of the Turtle Creek Elementary STEAM Academy engaged in climate action by learning about gardening and organizing several school-wide recycling activities. Through Project Based Learning, students learned about how to reduce climate change and its impacts and were encouraged to carry out such actions in their school.

Students were highly engaged in the planning and maintenance of their school garden during the whole academic year. Through this Alcoa W5 project, three new trees were planted on the school campus, and five raised garden beds were installed. At the start of their academic year, students harvested crops and planted winter cover crops to ensure the survival of their garden over winter, and in spring new crops were planted. Through these activities, the students also learned about healthy living and eating.

“Gardening is a great way to eat healthy foods and reduce climate change.” – Colette Ciocco (4th-grade student)

Aside from the planting and maintaining of their campus garden, students at Turtle Creek Elementary were also involved in recycling activities, as a school-wide recycling programme was implemented and maintained. They participated in the “Unwrap the Waves” candy wrapper recycling programme with the Loggerhead Marine Science Center, and joined a “Recycle Regatta” – a community event – in partnership with Educational Passages.

Through all the different activities in this project, students at Turtle Creek Elementary learned about the importance of working together to reduce the impacts of climate change. They also gained valuable insights into the connection between recycling, gardening, and climate change reduction, all while learning about healthy eating and living habits.

The Alcoa W5 project of Turtle Creek Elementary supports the following SDGs: