Student philanthropists are certainly not a dime-a-dozen. But perhaps they’re a nickel?
That’s because to these Wilton students, every nickel adds up when they’re raising money for their schools. This year, the student-run group Bottled Up! for Wilton Schools raised lots of nickels, one 5-cent bottle return deposit at a time, in order to donate $1,000 to benefit Wilton Schools. They presented a check to the Wilton Education Foundation at the WEF board meeting last night.
The premise behind Bottled Up! is simple: that students can take part in helping the schools and learn about giving back. The group raises funds by collecting and returning bottles for the $.05 deposit, and donating all collections to Wilton’s schools via WEF. Over the last year, the team of student volunteers and their committed parents helped collect 20,000 bottles and cans to in order to redeem and donate the $1,000.
“The great thing about Bottled Up! and WEF is that at the end of the day everything we’re doing is to make the educational experience better for the kids of Wilton. Bottled Up! helps the kids take as active a role in that as the teachers, administrators and parents do. They learn they can play a part in helping make the schools stronger by volunteering and giving back, and doing something great for the environment is a bonus! WEF is honored to have the Bottled Up! students be part of our organization,” said Scott Weber, WEF co-chair.
The kids collected all 20,000 bottles through community-wide collection days; individual collecting, recycling and redeeming; and collection bins at the schools and community events. As Bottled Up! members, they also learn about philanthropy and organizing and are encouraged to apply their knowledge of the school community to create unique ways to spread the word about the organization, motivate greater student participation, and increase outreach to the wider community.
Community businesses that have help Bottled Up! include Stop & Shop, Westy Storage and Wilton Hardware.
Bottled Up! was founded four years ago by a small group of then-second graders who wanted to give back to the schools and help the school district meet ever-tightening budget needs. Since then, they formally joined WEF, started a Facebook page and have grown in membership. In the last three years, they’ve donated a total of $2,300 to the schools through WEF—that’s a lot of bottles and cans. Their efforts prove the group’s motto, which the students came up with themselves: Recycling Makes Cents.
The Wilton Education Foundation is dedicated to enriching the learning experience for Wilton students by providing ongoing professional development for teachers, the latest in innovative and interactive teaching tools, support for music and the arts, and “beyond the classroom” experiences to provide Wilton’s public school students with the confidence and skills to succeed in college and beyond. For more information on the foundation, its mission, volunteer opportunities, and the many events and programs, please visit www.WiltonEducationFoundation.org.
[Editor’s Note: GOOD Morning Wilton’s Heather Borden Herve is a board member of WEF, and oversees Bottled Up! Her children are members of the group.]