Heather MacKenzie, of Billerica, Mass., shares her passion for recycling with Worcester 5th graders

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Heather MacKenzie '12, outside Woodland Academy after sharing recycling lessons with Worcester fifth graders.

WORCESTER, MA (04/02/2012)(readMedia)-- Heather MacKenzie, of Billerica, Mass., and three other members of Clark University's Recycling Crew recently shared their passion for, and knowledge of, recycling with fifth graders at Woodland Academy, a local elementary school in Worcester.

After a fellow Clark student discovered the school did not have a recycling program in place, members of the Recycling Crew jumped at the opportunity to have a "teachable moment." MacKenzie and a fellow Clark student designed a program that combined on-site hands-on activities with brief lessons to introduce ways of "living greener" - starting with the three R's of reduce, reuse, recycle - to the children.

MacKenzie and the others volunteered to lead the students in a 50-minute interactive program on recycling program on recycling. The program included a presentation on the importance of waste reduction and recycling as well as hands-on activities that enabled the children to sort trash and create "We Recycle" signs for display on the school premises.

During the program, Clark students zealously answered all questions, spoke about best practices and challenges of recycling, and reiterated the benefits of practicing the three R's of waste management every day. The hands-on demonstration resonated with the students more than any written instructions would have.

"This has evolved into an amazing collaboration between our students and the students and teachers at Woodland Academy," said Jenny Isler, Clark's Sustainability Coordinator. "If this isn't 'Changing Our World,' I just don't know what is."

MacKenzie, a member of the Class of 2012, is an environmental science major at Clark University. She is a 2008 graduate of Billerica Memorial High School and is the daughter of Ronald and Claire MacKenzie, of Billerica. 

Since its founding in 1887, Clark University in Worcester, Mass., has a history of challenging convention. As an innovative liberal arts college and research university, Clark's world-class faculty leads a community of creative thinkers and passionate doers and offers a range of expertise. Clark is nationally recognized in the areas of psychology, geography, management, urban education, Holocaust and genocide studies, environmental studies, and international development and social change. Clark's students, faculty and alumni embody the Clark motto: Challenge convention. Change our world.

www.clarku.edu