Organize Community Projects

1. Plant a Tree
   Organizing a landscaping project is an easy way to beautify and enhance your surroundings. Contact your county and ask how you can add more trees to your community. Read more

   A new tree is an investment that can last a lifetime. Position it carefully since it will be around for years and its large size makes poor placement a major headache. When planting a tree, know its maximum height and spread, information that's usually on the label. Plant it far enough away from houses, outbuildings, power lines, and other permanent structures so that even when mature, the tree won't touch. Also be sure to plant it far enough away from other trees or it may grow leaning away from the others, trying to get maximum light. Fall is the best time to plant a tree, but you can also plant in the spring. Whenever you plant, avoid hot, sunny days.

   Suggested Age Group: children, teens, adults
   Suggested Number of Volunteers: 2-3 per tree
   Skill Level: easy
   Activity Time: 3 hours (depends on amount of trees)

   Materials Needed:

   • Spade
   • Hand pruning shears
   • Scissors
   • Hose
   • Tree
   • Mulch

   Activity Instructions:

   • Dig the hole four times as wide as the root ball but slightly less than its depth to minimize settling. Make a mound in the center to support the trunk and to encourage the roots to spread
   • If the tree is bare-root, position it on the mound. If it's in a container, knock it from the container if possible. If that's too difficult, cut away the container with a hand shears. If the tree is balled and wrapped in burlap, you'll have to decide whether to partially or completely remove the burlap. If the burlap is treated or plasticized, remove it completely. If it's natural burlap, loosen it from the root ball of the tree, and then drop it in your planting hole. The natural burlap will disintegrate.
   • Loosen any roots that encircle the root ball. Position the tree in the hole, putting it at the same level it was in the container or burlap. (In a large hole, check to see if the tree is level with the surrounding soil by laying a long-handled rake or spade across the hole.) Fill the hole halfway with soil -- no need to add any soil amendments -- and water gently. Fill the hole completely and form a saucer around the tree to retain water. Fill the saucer with water, let it drain, and then fill again. Mulch with a 2-3 inch deep layer of wood chips to conserve moisture and prevent competition from weeds and grass. The mulch should go out as far as the tree's branches. Keep well watered for the first two weeks and give it additional water during dry spells for the next two to three years.

   For more Know-How resources, go to: www.homedepot.com or visit your local Home Depot store and sign up for a How-To clinic.

   Part to Whole: an Ecosystem (Students will be able to distinguish between the characteristics that make up an individual, a population, a community, and an ecosystem).

   Plants, Soil, and Nutrients, Oh my! (Students will explore and apply the scientific method as they explore the manner in which plants feed, grow, and produce oxygen).

   Biomes: Forests and Seeds (Discover that seasonal changes affect life in a temperate forest ecosystem)

   Greenhouse Effect Project (Students will become familiar with the terms, "global warming," the "greenhouse effect," and "greenhouse gases while learning about their implications and issues).

2. Create a Peace Garden
   Turn a vacant lot into a garden or bird sanctuary. Or create a garden at a local shelter or childcare center. Partner with neighbors or the organization to engage recipients in the planning and service activities. Read more

   Volunteers will assist students in creating colorful gardens that will enhance and personalize their school environments. After the planting, students will be creating their own drawings and quotes about their dreams and inspirations. These images or writings will then be incorporated in the garden after the flowers are planted.

   Suggested Age Group: children, teens
   Suggested Number of Volunteers: 7-10
   Skill Level: easy, moderate
   Time: 2-3 hours

   Materials Needed:

   • Flowers and plants (choose carefully)
   • Rocks (try to find ones that are medium sized and flat)
   • Hands trowels
   • Watering can
   • Mulch
   • Paper cut outs
   • Markers/Crayons
   • Laminating Paper
   • Paint
   • Paintbrushes
   • Water

   Activity Instructions:

   • Older children and volunteers work with younger children to plant different colored flowers in their garden.
   • Volunteers should plant flowers in an area that receives high amounts of sunlight, but moderate winds.
   • After creating garden area, distribute paper cut outs to younger children (distribute rocks to older children).
   • Have younger children use markers and crayons to draw or write their own dreams and inspirations on the paper (use paint for the rocks).
   • After younger children are finished, laminate the paper and attach wire to one side so that they can also “plant” their dreams in the garden (rocks can be placed in the garden as well).
   • Plants that are recommended for peace gardens are: asters, beard tongue heliotrope, day lily, iris, lavender, milk weed, petunia, phlox red glover, thyme, and zinnia.
   • Leafy plants and herbs can also be included in the garden.

   Part to Whole: an Ecosystem (Students will be able to distinguish between the characteristics that make up an individual, a population, an community, and an ecosystem)

   Plants, Soil, and Nutrients, Oh my! (Students will explore and apply the scientific method as they explore the manner in which plants feed, grow, and produce oxygen)

   The Importance of Tropisms (Complete a scientific experiment testing a single variable and understand how plants respond to different environmental conditions)

   Plant Pollination (Identify the different parts of a flower and understand their functions and importance of pollen for plant reproduction and diversity)

   http://www.kidsgardening.org/

3. Create a Recycling Center
   Start a school or neighborhood recycling program. Contact your local recycling center about recycling containers. Learn about the different types of recyclable products and promote in your community. Read more

   Recycling is an easy first step in positively influencing the environment. Recycling helps reduce the consumption of natural resources and energy. It also prevents pollution when a recycled material, rather than a raw material, is used to make a new product.

   A collaborative school effort to establish a recycling program can get students educated and involved in ways to protect the environment. Students can work together by organizing and executing the project on a regular basis.

   Suggested Age Group: teens, adults
   Suggested Number of Volunteers: 8-10
   Skill Level: moderate
   Time: ongoing

   Materials Needed:
   Containers large enough to hold recyclables
   Paper or Poster board
   Pens/Markers, paint, brushes

   Activity Instructions:

   • Decide on an appropriate location for the recycling center. Choose convenient areas where trash is usually generated and where hauling the items away for disposal is easy (ex. cafeteria, classrooms, hallways, offices, etc.)
   • Select containers for each type of product (e.g., paper, plastic, aluminum, glass) that will be recycled. Make sure you check the requirements of the recycling program in your community. Some programs may allow products to be collected together.
   • Create signs or labels to clearly communicate what should be recycled in each container.
   • Designate somebody to pick up the to-be recycled goods and take to the appropriate center.
   • To make the project more engaging, students can decorate the recycling bins using art supplies.
   • At the end of the school year, hold a book drive and collect old books that will not be used the following year. Send the books to a recycling center.

   Litter Crusader Project (Students will learn how to pick up litter and have fun with recycled materials!)

   I’m a Nature Custodian (Students will learn about animals, develop an appreciation for the environment, and learn ways to conserve water and energy)

   Recycling: a Community Survey (Students will learn about recycling while discussing its meaning and how they can help)

   Talking Trash (Students will be undertaking a scientific study of the types of things that become litter and that they will record what they find)

   Acting Locally (Explore with your students how an action in one place can affect another place and how problems can spread)

4. Organize a Food Drive
   Organize a food drive at work or school to raise awareness and collect food for a food bank or a soup kitchen. Combine this with creating “Stone Soup” a very nutritious dish – soup kitchens and homeless shelters are often happy to receive donations of homemade soups.

5. Operation Energy Save
   Conduct an energy audit for older adults in your neighborhood, church, senior center, etc to make the space more energy-efficient. Operation Energy Save is designed so that individuals, organizations, and community groups can help older friends and neighbors save money on energy costs. Your involvement will make a difference to people you care about. Read more

   How to Help Your Friends and Neighbors Save Energy
   Operation Energy Save was created for individuals and community groups to help friends, family, and neighbors conserve energy by sharing a checklist of tips that have been proven to reduce energy costs.

   • Choose three friends and neighbors you plan to assist. (Of course you can help as many as you like, but three is a great starting point.)
   • Schedule a quick energy-saving walk-through of their home(s) and use the Lend-A-Hand Checklist.
   • Leave a copy of the “Operation Energy Save: Easy Tips for Everyday Living” tip sheet so they have a list of more ways to save on energy costs every day. (access this piece at: http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/TopicAreas/MAD/Help_a_neighbor_to_save_energy.pdf)
   • Remember, you can always print more copies; the files are at AARP.org/CreateTheGood/Energy.
   • Visit AARP.org/CreateTheGood to let us know how this project worked for you and offer suggestions for future ideas.

   Lend-A-Hand Checklist
   As you know, energy costs continue to rise. But you can do something to help others. Operation Energy Save was created for individuals and community groups to help friends, family, and neighbors conserve energy by sharing a checklist of tips that have been proven to reduce energy costs. That way, those you care about can save money and stay warm

   • Close the heat vents and the doors in rooms that aren’t being used.
   • Make sure all windows are fully closed. Lock double-hung windows to minimize drafts coming through older windows.
   • Shut fireplace dampers to prevent heated air from going up the chimney when you’re not using the fireplace. Be sure all embers are out.
   • Clean registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators, and be sure that they’re not blocked by curtains, furniture, or carpeting.
   • Lower the temperature on the water heater to 120 degrees. Reducing the temperature by 20 degrees can save you nearly $50 a year.
   • Replace or clean furnace air filters. A clogged, dirty filter forces your furnace to work harder. A clean filter can save you 10 percent on your bill.*
   • Remove window air conditioning units when the summer is over to prevent heat from escaping. If the unit can’t be moved, cover it to prevent drafts.
   • Use expanding foam (available in spray cans) to seal the gaps around pipes that connect to the house from the outside.
   • Install weather stripping or caulk around doors and windows and place foam gaskets behind outlet plate covers on exterior walls. If there’s a large gap at the bottom of an exterior door, install a door sweep.*
   • Seal and insulate ducts and joints with a non-hardening sealant. Ducts running through unfinished spaces (attics, crawl spaces, and garages) that aren’t properly sealed and insulated can add 25 percent to your home’s heating bill.*

   *Professional assistance may be required to perform this task.

   Thank you for helping out and making a difference in your community. Please visit AARP.org/CreateTheGood to discover more ways AARP can help you give back and to tell us about your experience with Operation Energy Save.

   www.AARP.org/CreateTheGood/energy

6. The Power of Peace Cranes
   Read Sadako and the Thousand Peace Cranes by Eleanor Coerr and make peace cranes as a symbol of your commitment to peace and distribute to local schools and community centers. Read more

   Peace is a powerful value for children. Children who are taught to understand peace will develop the tolerance to resolve matters in a peaceful way. Understanding, kindness and respect for every person's uniqueness will help these future leaders promote peace and justice in the world. And they can begin to practice peaceful resolution today in the classroom, at home and in the community. "It is important to learn about peace because creating peace in our world is up to each and every person - by how they act and what they say." Before starting the project, discuss ways that we can keep peace in our homes, schools and communities.

   Origami Peace Cranes
   Origami (ori means folding, gami means paper in Japanese and cranes symbolize peace.
   Sadako Sasaki developed leukemia in 1955 from the effects of radiation caused by the bombing of Hiroshima, during World War II. While hospitalized, at 12 years old, she began folding a thousand paper cranes in response to the Japanese legend that the gods might grant her wish to be well again. There are several books about Sadako, one of them is Sadako and the Thousand Peace Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.
    
   Materials Needed:

   • Paper - Origami paper, which is strong and holds the crease well, is available in art and stationery stores. A large set ($4.90) can be ordered on-line from craft stores such as www.Michaels.com. Almost any other paper can be used- magazine pages, gift wrap or notebook paper.
   • Scissors
   • String and 1/4" pieces of plastic straw or coffee stirrers to place between the cranes, if you plan to string them. If you string the cranes, push the needle with the string through the hole in the bottom of the crane and bring it out through the point in the center of the crane's back.

   Steps Involved:
   Directions for folding a paper crane can be found at http://www.informeddemocracy.com/sadako/howtofold.html

   Displaying Your Cranes
   You can string your cranes and display them in your classroom, school, library or town hall.

7. Make a Diversity Quilt
   Create a patchwork quilts that consists of many diverse colors and sizes of material scraps. Individual scraps do not make a statement, but when sewn next to each other, they become a beautiful design. Besides being a work of art, quilts are practical. They warm and comfort children and adults. Your group can make a simple lap or crib quilt to comfort a child or adult. Read more

   Quilt making goes back almost 2,000 years and is believed to have originated in Asia. By the 19th century quilting was not only an established folk art in America it was used to help slaves escape through the Underground Railroad. Different patterns of quilts hanging in windows were said to give slaves clues as to the safe path to freedom or being at a safe house. Patchwork quilts consist of many diverse colors and sizes of material scraps. Individual scraps do not make a statement, but when sewn next to each other, they become a beautiful design. Besides being a work of art, quilts are practical. They warm and comfort children and adults. You can make a simple lap or crib quilt to comfort a child or adult.

   Materials needed:

   • Diverse pieces of cotton fabric
   • A single piece of cotton for the back depending on the size and number of squares
   • Quilt batting for the middle
   • Quilt binding
   • Embroidery floss
   • Needles, thread and sewing machine

   Steps involved:

   • Decide who will receive your quilt. It can be as close as your neighbor or to a child across the globe. See Diversity Quilt Resources below.
   • Choose the size of your quilt. A 36” by 48” will take 48 6” x 6” squares. You can cut the squares larger or smaller.
   • Cut the fabric into the size square you want, sew the squares into pairs and the pairs into rows.
   • Cut the back piece the same size as the quilt top.
   • Cut the batting to fill the quilt – sandwich it in between the top and bottom and baste around the perimeter.
   • To keep the batting in place – use the embroidery floss to make “knots” where the corners of the squares intersect.
   • Deliver or mail your quilt. Include a card from your family.

   Diversity Quilt Resources
   Check local agencies to inquire if you could donate your quilts to someone in need:hospitals, nursing homes, homeless and domestic violence shelters, and your local social services.

   Or, send quilts to:

   • Children in war-torn areas including orphanages, schools for the deaf, street children and trauma centers around the world: More Than Warmth www.morethanwarmth.org.
   • Children who are seriously ill in your community or in any state in America -- Project Linus at www.projectlinus.org.

8. Create 31 Days of Peace, Kindness and Justice
   Create an easy reflection statement or mission. Utilize the list of quotes and reflect on one each day. What does it mean? Why is the sentiment important? What impact can it have in your life? Make it a tagline on your email or take a few moments each day to gather staff, family, or friends to have folks share what it means for them or how it could be actualized in their life. Read more

   Many people have worked for and are still striving to create a world of compassion, kindness, inclusiveness and non-violence. These 31 quotes can be used for discussion or read by students at the start of each day in January in the classroom or over a public address system. You can also research the authors and discover what their contribution was to creating a peaceful society.

   • "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
   • "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." John Donne
   • "Alone, all alone - Nobody, but nobody - Can make it out here alone." Maya Angelou
   • "All men are brothers." Jean Henri Dunant
   • "Be the change you want to see in the world." Mohandas Ghandi
   • "In a world where there is so much to be done, I felt strongly impressed that there must be something for me to do." Dorothea Dix
   • "Make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy." St. Francis of Assisi
   • "Pro pace et fraternitate gentium." That is the Latin inscription on the Nobel Peace Prize gold medal, which means "for peace and brotherhood of people." The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the person(s) who in the past year has done the "most or the best work for brotherhood among nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."3
   • "Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agrees to serve...You only need a heart full of grace; a soul grounded by love." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
   • "The fruit of silence is PRAYER. The fruit of prayer is FAITH. The fruit of faith is LOVE. The fruit of love is SERVICE. The fruit of service is PEACE." The Simple Path Mother Teresa of Calcutta
   • "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." Aseop
   • "That best portion of a good man's life; His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love." William Wordsworth
   • "Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness." George Sand
   • "The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone." Harriet Beecher Stowe
   • "Whatever you may do may seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it." Mahandas Ghandi
   • "This is our cry, this is our prayer; peace in the world." Inscription written by the friends of Sadako's Saski's, engraved on her statue at Hiroshima Peace Park.
   • "Love is doing small things with great love." Mother Teresa
   • "The future, if only we can learn to will it, shall belong to neither war, no division, nor hatred. It shall belong to peace, to work, and to arbitration." Fédéric Passy
   • "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
   • "Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." Langston Hughes
   • "I refuse to accept the view that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
   • "Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures; peace is our gift to each other." Elie Wiesel
   • "If you don't like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it; you just do it one step at a time." Marion Wright Edelman
   • "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Lao Tse
   • "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding." Albert Einstein
   • "Peace is more difficult than war." Aristotle
   • "The love of our neighbor in all its fullness simply means being able to say, "What are you going through?" Simone Weil
   • "Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses." Confucius
   • "As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold the person down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might." Marian Anderson
   • "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
   • "I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people." Rosa Parks

9. Create a Benchmark for Social Change
   Design bus seat covers that allow people to better understand what is possible when they make a commitment to social change. The covers can then be placed on functional school or city buses. Read more

   Project Overview and Supply List
   This is a public art project focused on honoring the roles that young people played during the Civil Rights Movement in America. During the project, volunteers design bus seat covers to help young people better understand what is possible when they make a commitment to social change. The bus seat covers are then placed on functioning school buses.

   Project Type	Inspirational Public Art
   Duration of the Project	2.5 hours for project; 30 minutes for discussion
   Age Requirement	9 and up
   Minimum Number of Volunteers	1 per seat cover
   Maximum Number of Volunteers	3 per seat cover
   Number of Volunteer Leaders	1 per 20 participants
   Materials Needed	1 Blue Bird 39” Velcro bus seat cover 3 gloves per volunteer Various art supplies, depending on the artists’ concepts Note: Artists must ensure all supplies are non-flammable, water-based and do not bleed onto skin or fabric over time. 1 Tarp per seat cover See Sample 1 for Instructions and Materials List for Building Work Easels (Easel is strongly recommended)

   Project Development

   • Develop A Concept: First, determine what social justice themes, issues, and figures resonate with you, your organization, and your city. What variations can be made to the project to make it unique to your city? Consider involving children in the design development.
   • Write a Proposal: Outline a brief proposal to garner interest and provide information about the project. Include the purpose, timeline, contact information, outcomes and budget. You may also want to include artistic sketches and pictures, if possible.
   • Recruit Artists (Allow 3 weeks): Professional and student artists can assist with developing a concept for the seats. Artists may also serve as Volunteer Leaders the day of the project, guiding volunteers to complete the concept. Prior to recruiting an artist the following need to be established:
   • Role Description: Provide details on the expected outcomes, deadlines for submission, what the artist needs to do, how much time is required, the supply budget and benefits for the artist.
   • Call for Submissions: Put out a call for submissions, circulating your role description via listservs, local art schools, college art departments, primary and high schools, city art bureaus, art festivals, etc.
   • Review Submissions: Review the submissions to determine which ones are most appropriate. Be sure to thank each artist who submitted and keep their contact information for future opportunities.
   • Obtain Supplies (Allow 1 Week): Artists should state what supplies are necessary and where to obtain the supplies. Artists should ensure all supplies are non-flammable, water-based, and do not bleed over time onto skin or fabric. You may also want to purchase clear vinyl seat covers to further protect the finished bus seats. Purchase clean up and safety supplies. Consider obtaining a sponsorship or donation for costs.
   • Recruit Volunteers: Make phone calls, do personal visits and pass out flyers to recruit volunteers. As you do so, consider targeting special interest groups, civil rights organizations, minority affinity groups, fraternities, sororities, civic organization and art students.
   • Install Seat Covers: The seat covers should be installed on operable school buses to inspire and motivate youth. Seek permission from the local school system. Arrange for completed covers to be picked up or dropped off to the transportation authority. Select either a bus driver or a school child to install the covers.

   Before the Project

   • Obtain approval from local school system to place covers on operable buses.
   • Secure an appropriate project location.
   • Consider conducting the project in an outdoor, visible setting and communicate project location to all participants.
   • Consider refreshments and restrooms.
   • Develop weather contingency plans.
   • Identify a speaker and facilitator for service-learning.
   • Create press releases.
   • Build easels so that volunteers will have a steady surface to work on. If you choose not to build easels, the covers can be laid flat and designed one side at a time, but this will increase the design time and may affect the quality. If you choose to design the seat covers without the easels, lay out tarp(s) and place the seat covers on top, allowing enough room for two volunteers per seat cover. See Sample 1 of this project recipe for a materials list and instructions on building work easels.

   Day of the Project

   • Make sure the project location is well-marked and set up registration and refreshment tables.
   • If there are several seat covers and several artists, tape a copy of the sketch design to the seat cover or tarp to delineate the seat.
   • Organize all supplies and place them in a central location.
   • Take before, during and after pictures or video of the seat covers.
   • Allow seat covers to dry 1 to 2 hours before removing them from the easels.

   After the Project

   • Move completed seat covers to a secured location until they can be installed on operable school buses.
   • Database all participants and sponsors.
   • Send completed photos to school officials for installation.
   • Follow up with school officials for placement.
   • Send thank you cards to all participants and sponsors and periodically update participants and sponsors about seat placement.

   Inspired by Hannah Bassewitz, a Young Hero profiled in Young Heroes magazine, these necklaces are an easy and creative way to show someone you care about them and about the world we live in. Make two necklaces, one for yourself and one for someone special.

10. Make One World, One Heart Necklaces
    Inspired by Hannah Bassewitz, a HandsOn Network "Young Hero" from Crossroads Elementary School in St. Paul, MN, the necklaces provide a creative way to show someone you care about them and about the world we live in. Make two necklaces, one for yourself and one for someone special. Read more

    Materials Needed:

    • Beads
    • String
    • Blue and green paper

    Steps Involved:

    1. Gather different colored beads (diversity) and string. You can buy beads at the store or make your own using clay. If you make your own, remember to create a hole through the bead (using a toothpick) so you can put the beads on a string.
    2. Use blue and green construction paper to create a globe –a blue circle for the oceans on the Earth – overlaid with green paper continents.
    3. Punch a hole through the top of your globe so it can be strung onto your necklace. String the globe on and make the ends of your necklace even, so the globe sits in the middle of the necklace.
    4. Then, take your beads and string them on. Notice all the different shapes, sizes and colors that the beads make. Ask your children how all the different beads are like people in the world?
    5. Make your necklace long enough so it can slip on and off over your head easily. Then, tie the ends of the strings tightly together.
    6. Now you have a One World, One Heart necklace! Make another with your leftover beads and construction paper and give it to a friend

11. Weatherizing for Those in Need
    Help low-income families and elderly community members save on their energy bills by weatherizing their homes to prepare for the cold and wet seasons.

12. Create Environmentally Friendly Household Cleaners
    Make a kit of “Safe and Healthy Household Cleaners” for friends and family. Read more

    Did you know that indoor air can be more hazardous to your health than outdoor air? Most people think of air pollution as being smog outside, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that we could be exposed to more toxic chemicals inside than outside.1 Indoor air pollution can come from new carpet, paints, plastics, pressboard, natural gas and cleaning products. 
    
    In addition, many household cleaners are toxic (poisonous to humans and animals) and considered hazardous waste. You should not dispose of them in your regular garbage.  When they end up in a landfill, they can pollute our groundwater and harm humans and animals. Cleaning products such as furniture polish, oven cleaners, drain cleaners and even air fresheners are considered hazardous waste. There are alternatives to using toxic cleaning products. You probably have many of them at home. They are less expensive, smell better and are healthier for your family and your pets.

    The basic ingredients for many natural household cleaners are:

    • Baking soda
    • White vinegar
    • Dish detergent
    • Olive oil
    • Club soda

    You can get recipes for making natural homemade household cleaners from a great book, Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan or from websites such as www.kidsorganic.com.
    Your club could gather “recipes” for making Safe and Healthy Household Cleaners Books for their families, or make posters to share what they have learned. 

    Below are some recipes for you to start with.  The Vanilla Power Air Freshener would be a great place to start.

    Vanilla Power Air Freshener
    From Clean House, Clean Planet
    Many air fresheners come in aerosol cans which put fluorocarbons into the atmosphere (adding to greenhouse gases) and end up in landfills.  You can make an effective alternative that is cheaper and environmentally friendly.

    Materials Needed:

    • Cotton balls
    • Pure Vanilla Extract (not imitation)
    • Small jar with lid

    Steps Involved:

    • Put cotton ball into the jar and soak it thoroughly in the pure vanilla extract.
    • Place the jar, uncovered in the area you want freshened.  It starts working within one hour and within 8 hours you will smell a significant difference. 
    • When the cotton ball dries out, reuse it or add a new cotton ball. 
    • For use in a car, take the lid off at night.

    All-Purpose Cleaner
    From Clean House, Clean Planet
    Liquid hand-dishwashing detergents such as Palmolive or Ivory are excellent cleaners and mild on your hands.  You can use it to wash windows, floors, and delicate laundry with one or two squirts in a bucket of water.  To wash your car use 2-3 squirts per bucket.

    Materials Needed:

    • Liquid dish washing detergent
    • Clean pump spray or squirt bottles – do not reuse commercial bottles they might contain chemical residues even after they are washed.

    Steps Involved:

    • Add one teaspoon for an 8 -ounce spray-bottle of water (1 tablespoon for 16 ounces).
    • Label the bottle on the outside.
    • You only need a couple of squirts of the diluted liquid detergent; otherwise too many suds will form. 

    Silver Jewelry Cleaner
    From www.kidsorganics.com

    Materials Needed:

    • Baking soda
    • Water
    • Cloth

    Steps Involved:

    • Make a paste of baking soda and water.
    • Rub onto silver
    • Rub shiny.

    Window Cleaner
    From Clean House, Clean Planet

    Materials Needed:

    • Vinegar
    • Water, or
    • Club soda
    • Spray bottle

    Steps Involved:

    • Add ¼ cup of vinegar to 1 quart of warm water.  Fill spray bottle.
    • If you chose to use club soda instead, simply pour in a spray bottle. (do not add vinegar)
    • Spray on windows and dry the windows with newspaper!

    Furniture Polish
    From Clean House, Clean Planet
    Many furniture polishes come in aerosol cans and are expensive.  You can make 16 ounces of polish for about 50 cents.
     
     Materials Needed:

    • Olive Oil
    • White distilled vinegar
    • Water, (purified if available)
    • Spray bottle
    • Pure essential lemon oil or lemon juice.

    Steps Involved:

    • Put 2 teaspoons of olive oil in the bottle.
    • Add 20 drops of pure essential lemon oil  (available at health food stores) or 1-2 teaspoons of well strained lemon juice* (use a coffee filter if you don’t have a strainer because pulp will clog the sprayer). 
    • Add ¼ cup of vinegar to 1 quart of warm water. 
    • Fill spray bottle and label it!
    • Shake well before using.
    • Spray on cloth or directly on to the furniture and wipe it dry immediately.

    * If you use lemon juice, you will have to refrigerate it. Make sure it is labeled – it has the same ingredients as salad dressing!

13. Compost School Cafeteria Garbage
    Talk to your school officials and offer to build a school compost bin for lunchroom garbage.

14. Create Backpacks for Back to School
    Create back-t-school backpacks filled with school supplies for low-income families. Read more

    Back to School Backpacks give students the chance to start the school year right with a new backpack and supplies. Did you know there are millions of kids whose families cannot afford to buy them school supplies? There could be kids in your school or in your community who need school supplies.

    How to identify kids who might need a backpack:
    Start in your own school. Students in schools who receive free lunch or breakfast are often the kids who need help with a new backpack and school supplies. Some of these children are homeless, some are new immigrants, some are resettled refugees, some are in the foster care system, and some could be from poor families. Other families in your own school just might be going through difficult times financially.
    Ask the principal, social services/outreach worker or guidance counselor if there are children who could use a new backpack or school supplies – if you give to children in your own school, their names should be kept confidential by your school administration.

    Who else needs school supplies? Consider students from the following places:

    • A local low income school
    • An afterschool program
    • Community centers
    • Foster care agencies
    • Human services or state departments for children and families
    • Domestic violence or homeless shelters
    • Soup kitchens
    • Migrant families
    • Refugees newly resettled in the United States cities

    Materials Needed:
    Include as many of the following items on the list as you can. The backpack and supplies should benew.

    Elementary K-5

    • New backpack
    • Notebook
    • Pens (2)
    • Pencils (3)
    • Small sharpener
    • Markers or crayons
    • Glue sticks

    Middle School through High School

    • New backpack
    • Spiral notebooks
    • Pens
    • Pencils
    • Small sharpener
    • Markers or colored pencils
    • Folders
    • Ruler
    • Highlighters
    • 3 ring binder with loose paper (Optional)
    • Calculator/dictionary (Optional)

15. Design Murals and Mosaics
    Create community art by painting murals incorporating diversity and themes or piecing together domino mosaics in the image of a local hero and iconic image. Read more

    Paint a Mural

    Painting a mural is a fabulous way to bring color and character into your school. Volunteers can create simple designs or hire muralists to create a template for the mural.

    Suggested Age Group: teens, adults
    Number of Volunteers Needed: 8-10
    Skill Level: moderate, difficult
    Prep Time: 1-2 hours
    Time: 2-5 hours

    Materials Needed:

    • Drop cloths/tarp
    • Enough latex paint for your mural design
    • Masking tape
    • Mural artist (optional)
    • Overhead projector (optional)
    • Paint buckets
    • Pencils
    • Roller pans
    • Ruler
    • Variety of paint brushes

    Prep Instructions:

    • Volunteers can work with youth volunteers, artists, community members, and muralists to design murals that will be painted on/in the school. School staff should approve all murals in advance.
    • Before painting be sure to cover the floor area with drop cloth/tarp. Make sure to tape down drop cloth before getting started. You may also find it helpful to wash down the area to be painted or sand any chipped paint.

    Activity Instructions:

    • Volunteers can also prepare drawing using transparencies and overhead projectors to project murals directly onto wall(s) to be painted. Volunteers may also use stencils to create murals.
    • Volunteers should pencil the drawing or image onto the wall and can also indicate by numbers the colors that will be needed for volunteers to fill in the mural.
    • Volunteers will paint the mural according to the template and color scheme.

    • Most mural projects can be completed in a day, but some more advanced projects may require an additional day of prep time. It is recommended to hire a muralist to help with the design, vision, and execution of the project.
    • Murals can also be painted on inexpensive canvas or plywood, which is a great option if murals may need to be moved in the future or the physical space for the mural doesn’t allow for lots of volunteers to be painting at the same time.
    • If you are painting on tiles or brick, you may find it helpful to have 1:1 for adult to youth volunteer for each brick (if mural design permits).
    • You can also use these instructions to create “hand murals.” These can be created easily and quickly. Volunteers simply place their hands in paint and then place them carefully against the designated mural area.
    • Lexmark Printart is a National philanthropic program designed to expand and enrich the art and cultural education resources in schools. Schools can receive a color inkjet printer featuring photo-quality resolution, a multilingual CD-ROM with approximately 100 high-resolution images of art masterpieces, and a teacher's guide with academic exercises.
    • http://www.lexmark.com/lexmark/sequentialem/home/0,6959,204816596_659906149_0_en,00.html
    • The Artists Helping Children website features sketches of animals, seasons, sports and famous children’s characters that can be used as the outline of a mural. Children can learn about the topic or theme featured on the mural. http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/coloringpages_coloringprintouts.html

    Non-Objective Art (The students will understand how art is influenced by current events. The students will use their knowledge about nouns to create a work of art)

    Create a Mosaic

    Mosaics can be applied to a variety of surfaces both indoors and outdoors. Mosaics may be themed any way (ex. peace, social justice, school, love, friendships, space, underwater, the environment, our world, etc.). After studying the theme and message of their tile mosaics, students will be asked decorate the tiles incorporating the theme into their illustrations. The tiles will then be put together in a mosaic form.

    Suggested Age Group: children, teens (for decorating tiles), teens, adults (for assembling mosaics)
    Suggested Number of Volunteers: varies based on size of mosaic
    Skill Level: Moderate-Difficult
    Time: 2-4 hours plus drying time

    Materials Needed:

    • Ceramic tiles
    • Safety goggles
    • Thin set mortar
    • 3/16” notched trowel
    • Sponge
    • Poly-blend sanded tile grout
    • Large buckets
    • Soft cloth/rag
    • Paints or markers for decorating tiles
    • Cups for water
    • Paintbrushes

    Activity Instructions:

    • Distribute tiles to children.
    • Have children decorate the tiles illustrating their interpretations of a decided theme.
    • Older volunteers should then mix a thin layer of mortar in a bucket as directions indicate. The consistency should be similar to slightly runny peanut butter.
    • Using a notch trowel spread a ¼”-1/2” inch layer of mortar onto the stone. Press pieces of tile (as designed) into the mortar, pressing each piece lightly into the mortar. Additional mortar may be necessary to get an even surface, repeating this step until all pieces have been set, making sure to leave small spaces in between each piece for grout.
    • When the top of the stone/tiles are covered wipe off excess mortar from the surface and let dry.
    • Older volunteers should mix grout as indicated on package, scoop a large amount onto the stone/tile surface, using a trowel to spread grout into gaps. Fill the gaps, removing excess.
    • Using a wet sponge, clean excess grout from the stone/surface of the tiles. Wipe off the top, going over the surface in all directions, rinsing the sponge often.
    • Allow mosaics to dry for 24-49 hours. Buff the dry surface with a soft cloth.

    Wonders of the World (Students learn how humans in all cultures created works of art that may be considered wonders of the world)

    Celebrating Diversity and Heritage (Students learn about his or her family heritage and celebrate the diversity of their class)

    Nutrition and Food Science (Students will learn to describe the symptoms and possible causes of a food-borne illness and explore how they can be prevented)