Students leading Clean and Green Club to reduce plastic at Vieja Valley Elementary School in Santa Barbara

Patricia Martellotti
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Kids are making efforts to save the environment at Vieja Valley Elementary School in Santa Barbara.
The students established the Clean and Green Club to reduce plastic use at their school.
They researched ideas for how to do that and came up with the idea of switching to reusable sporks.
This student-led initiative has allowed them to raise money to buy reusable sporks for the school’s food service program.
“We have planted this garden. We got a grant for a dishwasher and we got metal sporks in the cafeteria,” said Dylan McLernon of Vieja Valley Elementary School.
“I’m excited because of global warming and climate change everyone makes a difference,” said student Alaina Galbraith of Vieja Valley Elementary School.
The school administration believes this is a testament that students can have a voice and lead improvements at their schools and in the world.