Cleveland High School was recognized at the University of Tennessee homecoming game as one of the statewide winners of the Good Sports Always Recycle (GSAR) program’s school challenge. Cleveland High was awarded $1,000 for its environmental program.
“We are so proud of our Environmental Club for their commitment to making our school community more environmentally friendly. Through Mrs. Cuervo’s leadership, these students consistently work hard to develop Eco friendly awareness and help create a culture of conservation,” said Zach Riggins, assistant principal at Cleveland High School. “Through their hard work and dedication, our students will have the capacity to make an important impact on our local culture and further the cause of making our World a better place to live.”
Eastman and its partners, Waste Connections, Food City and the University of Tennessee, recognized nine schools at the game, and each was awarded $1,000. GSAR School Challenge winners also included: Abintra Montessori School in Nashville, Emmett Elementary School in Bristol, Fayette Academy in Somerville, John Adams Elementary School in Kingsport, Linden Elementary School in Oak Ridge, Midway Middle School in Ten Mile, Newport Grammar School in Newport and Union Elementary STEM and Demonstration School in Gallatin. New Hope Christian Academy in Memphis was awarded $1,500 for the GSAR Sustainability Steward Award; and Libertas School of Memphis was awarded $1,500 for the Best New Program.
“Eastman, through the Good Sports Always Recycle program, has been recognizing schools for over two decades. We are pleased to make this year’s program better than ever by adding a new category for those schools that are in the early stages of starting an environmental program,” said David Golden, senior vice president, chief legal & sustainability officer, and corporate secretary at Eastman. “Sustainability is about creating value, and this program is a great opportunity to do just that. We are not only educating students about the importance of environmental stewardship, we are assisting schools across the state in making a positive impact in their communities.”
Along with the financial award, the winning schools were provided a behind-the-scenes look at the Vol Network studios, participated in a tailgate celebration and were recognized in an on-field presentation during the game.
“The GSAR program gives schools a once in a lifetime celebration to honor their hard work and commitment to the environment. It is always impressive to hear about what schools in Tennessee are doing to be environmental stewards, and we hope each year that this will inspire more schools to start or strengthen their programs,” said Mickey Blazer, executive vice president of Operations at Food City.
Winning schools are actively reducing waste, providing environmental education in their school and/or have a program in place to reduce their overall impact through energy and water conservation, recycling programs, the use of green space or other environmental programs.
“TDEC is proud to once again participate in the GSAR program as a judge and sponsor,” said Commissioner Bob Martineau. “It is vitally important for our schools to not only teach students the importance of waste diversion, but to also demonstrate how it can be done in our daily lives.”
The GSAR program is celebrating its 23rd year, and more than 240 schools have been awarded more than $150,000 for their environmental programs.
In addition to the school challenge, Good Sports Always Recycle is the University of Tennessee’s year-round recycling program, which is working toward zero waste at the athletic venues across campus. During the 2015 football season alone, GSAR averaged 23.4 tons recycled, composted or donated per game. The GSAR program includes recycling and compost facilities throughout the university’s athletic facilities, and during the 2015 football season, the program recycled 143.5 tons, composted 17.3 tons and donated 2.9 tons food.
“The GSAR program has had a tremendous impact on the University of Tennessee over the last two decades, and we are excited about seeing the program continue to evolve to lessen the footprint athletic events have on the environment,” said Greg Hee, division vice president of Waste Connections.
Additionally, the GSAR program provides teachers with educational resources, including grade specific lesson plans and program ideas, to teach students the importance of sustainability. These resources are available for download atwww.eastman.com/GSAR.
The Good Sports Always Recycle program is sponsored by Eastman, Food City and Waste Connections, in conjunction with the University of Tennessee.