- removed 217 pounds of pollution out of air,
- saved 62 trees from being cut down,
- saved 14,842 kilowatts of energy from being used to produce new paper,
- saved 7.24 barrels of oil,
- saved 13,394 pounds of lumber from being made into virgin paper,
- saved 86,880 gallons of water, and
- saved 11.6 cubic yards of landfill space.
The Wilds’ Homeschool
Portsmouth, VA – Julie Wilds and her two homeschooled daughters–Gabrielle, age 8, and Meredith, age 6–have a mission: 12 River Star School plaques on their wall by the time the girls go to college.
After seeing Princess Elizabeth of the Elizabeth River Project give a presentation and learning about River Star Schools and the Youth Recognition program, the Wilds were inspired to make a positive impact on the environment and their home river.
Gabrielle and Meredith began collecting recyclable trash and channeling it into the recycling stream. The results are impressive! So far, these two young ladies have
“We started collecting recyclable paper from our neighborhood as a homeschool project. It was also a way to help Gabrielle cope when she saw local trees being cut down, which saddens her immensely. Even if the old tree is a danger to homes or wires, it brought her to tears,’ says Mrs. Wilds.
“Here in Swimming Point, SPSA doesn’t offer us many options in paper recycling as we are clumped together with the business recycling in Olde Towne. They will not pick up cardboard, chipboard, magazines, catalogs (which fill our mail slots daily), etc. So Gabrielle, Meredith, and I started collecting on the first Friday of every month. We take our Jeep with our trailer around the neighborhood and collect whatever anyone puts out for us.” According to Mrs. Wilds, the tiny clean-up crew began in October 2007 and have since collected over 7,200 pounds of paper that would have gone into the landfill. “We take our paper to the Tidewater Fiber Corporation in Chesapeake to add to their fiber piles,” she says.
“We and our neighbors save our paper products throughout the month. Our house alone can fill the large garbage can that our city provides us with each month. No garbage, just paper products,” explains Mrs. Wilds. “We can see our impact on the landfill by each trailer full of paper we take to recycle. There are only about 14 households that regularly donate, so we could do much better–but we are thankful for those who do participate! The project takes only about three hours a month, yet it has made a huge impact on the environment and on how people feel about recycling in Swimming Point.
annemiller @ January 28, 2009 | Homeschoolers Did It! | Comments (0)
Former Homeschooler Tim Tebow Led Florida to the National College Championship!
The Florida Gators, led by former homeschooler Tim Tebow, won the BCS championship NCAA game January 8! The Florida Gators beat the Oklahoma Sooners 24-14.
The commentators loved Tim Tebow! They gave his Christian testimony for him throughout the game! They talked about his strong faith, his good character, his leadership skills as quarterback of the Florida Gators, and the respect everyone who knows him has for him. During the game, they discussed his family’s missionary background, including where he had been on the mission field and how he had served the needy by feeding children in third world countries and living in a leper colony.
The commentators mentioned his homeschool experience several times. They even talked about Florida’s homeschool laws that allowed him to play on a public school sports team, leading to his outstanding college career and winning the Heisman Trophy last year–the first sophomore ever to win the Heisman.
John 3:16 was painted on his face for the world to see. Then at the end during the award presentations, he thanked Jesus Christ for the victory! What a great witness for the Lord!
Homeschoolers are shining! Like the national spelling bees and geography bees, sports are a showcase for the success of homeschooling!
Yvonne Bunn
P.S. Mom’s may wish to read “Mothering Tebow: Scripture & Faith Are Her ‘Secrets’ to Parenting Tim Tebow, Mom Says” for a glimpse at the training Tebow received at home.
Yvonne Bunn @ January 13, 2009 | Homeschoolers Did It! | Comments (0)