A group of environmentally conscious students at Laurence Manning Academy is leading the charge in making their school a greener place. The Bio Club, founded last year, has taken on several projects aimed at promoting recycling and sustainability on campus and beyond.
The club, which includes 13 active middle and high school students, recently held a trash cleanup along Old Georgetown Highway, collecting 24 bags of trash and one large bag of aluminum cans for recycling. The effort was part of a partnership with Take Action SC, Palmetto Pride, and Keep America Beautiful.
“Our students want to make LMA a green campus,” said Tanya Quiroz, the club’s advisor and president of the biology clubs for the National Association of Biology Teachers. “They’re starting with small steps—teaching younger students about recycling, implementing a can drive, and working toward bigger projects like getting permanent recycling bins on campus.”
The Bio Club’s recycling initiative has expanded to include a campus-wide aluminum can drive, with proceeds benefiting the Children’s Burn Center. The local fire department has provided a recycling trailer on campus, where students, staff, and families can contribute cans.
On campus, the club has also begun engaging younger students by reading to kindergarten and first-grade classes about the importance of recycling. Students participated in hands-on activities, including a cleanup game where they sorted trash and recyclables. Each child also took a pledge to pick up one piece of trash every day.
“We figured if we start with the younger kids, they’ll grow up knowing that recycling is just what we do,” Quiroz said. “Eventually, we hope to expand to include paper and cardboard, but we have to start small.”
Looking ahead, the club plans to apply for grants to fund recycling bins at the school’s sports facilities, including the football and baseball fields. They also hope to turn their can drive into an ongoing initiative, with incentives such as pajama day rewards for students when the trailer is full.
“This is just the beginning,” Quiroz said. “We’re taking baby steps, but our hope is that in the next few years, this will be something that’s fully ingrained in LMA’s culture.”
Representative Fawn Pedalino recently joined the students in their cleanup efforts, further encouraging their mission to make a lasting impact.
The Bio Club meets every other Wednesday after school and continues to welcome new members who share a passion for environmental conservation.
For more information or to contribute to the can drive, visit Laurence Manning Academy’s social media pages.
