Wylie East Granted Environmental Scholarship
9/13/2022The principles of practicum and human services class at Wylie East High School was recently chosen as the winner of the 2022 State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR) Sustainability Scholarship.
The scholarship will support educators or officially recognized student groups looking to start, enhance, or sustain recycling or landfill reduction programs on their campus or in their community.
Each Monday the class of 16 goes to every single classroom at Wylie East High School and collects recyclables.
“We work our hardest to recycle,” Wylie East junior Jacob Gowler said.
Smith started the program 16 years ago when he got to Wylie East and he and his students have been assisting the community ever since.
Coach BJ Smith admires photos from throughout the years.
“I love the tradition that we started years ago,” Smith, transition specialist and instructor of the class said. “I'm super proud of our students.”
Collecting recycling each week gives Smith’s students a chance to not only help the environment, but to also communicate, gain self-confidence and experience real life situations.
“We try to give them some skills they can use when they leave here,'' Smith said.
The money from the scholarship will go toward helping improve the recycling program at Wylie East.