Adopt-A-School Program

ADOPT-A-SCHOOL CAPTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Adopt-A-School Captains sign up for a one-year period. If at any time you leave or need to end your participation for any reason, you may do so by notifying us. At the end of your one-year period, you can renew your school block adoption. As a School Block Captain the commitment is to keep the school grounds, or block adopted, free of litter and debris on an ongoing basis. Communicate with students, staff and families about your efforts and to encourage them to get involved as well. Spend approximately four hours per month (weather permitting) cleaning up your school grounds and reaching out to neighbors. This could include picking up trash when you return home from work each day, a once-a-week pickup with family or a few neighbors, or a larger monthly cleanup where everyone is involved. 

TOOLS & SUPPLIES

Each school captain receives a cleanup kit that includes garbage bags, gloves, an Adopt-A Block T-shirt and a litter grabber. We will provide you with additional gloves and trash bags as needed during regular business hours.

BLOCK BOUNDARIES

A block for schools is considered to be the school grounds and the street in front of the school.

SCHOOL LITTER PICK-UP CHECKLIST

PLANNING A LITTER PICK-UP:

• Determine the purpose for the pick-up: 
  • To tidy the school grounds/local area.
  • To involve students in positive community action.
  • To instill awareness of the litter issue and responsible behaviors.
  • To collect data on litter.
• Create a plan for the pick-up. Include information around rescheduling, first aid, and communication during the event. Confirm all students have permission to participate in the pick-up.
• Location: Define if the pick-up will focus only on school grounds or if it will include surrounding areas.
  • Avoid busy streets, rivers, streams, ponds, railroad tracks, industrial premises, etc.
• Determine how many students and adults will participate. Will there be sufficient supervision?
• Map the area of the pick-up. Walk through the area of the pick-up a week prior to identify any potential hazards and indicate them on the map.
• Ensure you have enough supplies (grabbers, gloves, bags etc.) for everyone. Contact Keep Huntington Beautiful if you need additional resources.
• Decide where the collected trash will be disposed.
  • Where should participants place full bags?
  • Will you be separating recyclables?
  • Who will be responsible for the disposal?
• Advise those participating to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for the pick-up.

 ON THE DAY OF THE LITTER PICK-UP:

• Check the weather forecast and be prepared to postpone the pick if bad weather is likely.
• Ensure that all participants wear suitable clothing and footwear and ensure that everyone has gloves and pickers.
• Give clear instructions to children about the area to be picked up and the signal or time to return.
• Give clear instructions about how litter is to be picked up – always with gloves or litter pickers, never with bare hands.
• Advise on any potential hazards that have been identified.
• Communicate what participants should do if they encounter potentially dangerous items; these should all be reported to the project supervisor and children should not handle. Potential hazards could include:
  • Sharp or jagged items such as broken glass.
  • Heavy or bulky items.
  • Biohazards such as dead animals, feces, needles, etc.
• Be aware of potential dangers during the pick such as moving vehicles and strangers interacting with children. Ensure children are visible during the pickup and know who to speak with if they feel uncomfortable.
• Advise all participants to wash their hands following the pick-up

AFTER THE PICK-UP:

• Reflect:
  • What went well with the pickup?
  • What should be changed before the next one?
• Record:
  • What items were the most prevalent?
  • Where was the litter most abundant?
  • Were there areas without litter?
• Discuss:
  • Allow students an opportunity to speak about what they saw during the pick-up.
  • Are there any areas where the litter is particularly bad?
  • Does the litter originate mostly from inside or outside of the school?
  • Are certain types of litter more common than others?
  • Are there any times of the day/week when litter is particularly bad?
  • Are there steps the school can take to reduce the amount of litter around the grounds?
  • Are there enough bins inside and/or outside of the school?
  • By examining the types of litter, can it be determined which age group may be most responsible for the problem?

RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS:

• Invite someone you want to get involved in Adopt-A-Block as your guest to the Adopt-A-Block Appreciation events. Have them sign up that night.
• Recruit new Adopt-A-Block captains during your litter pickups.
• Ask community members who are already cleaning up in their yards to participate officially through Adopt-A-Block.  
• Encourage students to speak with friends about the litter program and join.

USE SOCIAL MEDIA:

• Share your efforts and results via school newsletter, blog or other forms of communication.
• Join our Adopt-A-Block Captain Facebook page to connect with other captains.

OTHER HELPFUL TIPS:

• Wear a Keep Huntington Beautiful T-shirt when you work to formalize your cleanup activities.
• Always smile and wave.