Third grade students make the best first grade teachers!

Written by Joanna Hoffman, Program Manager

“Usually I’m shy, but today my voice was strong!” third grade student Adrian from Berkeley Arts Magnet (BAM) Elementary School proudly exclaimed. BAM students in Berkeley took responsibility for the health of their watershed by spreading the word about plastic pollution. Kimberley was very excited to be a role model to the first graders. “It was cool to teach the first graders. They really seemed to understand that trash from our streets ends up in the bay through the storm drain system. I taught them that!” After the third grade “teachers” explained their hand-made colorful posters, they led their first grade buddies in a trash clean-up project. Altogether the classes picked up 632 pieces of trash from their schoolyard. “This is really important work,” shared Lina. “Now the first graders can spread the news and those people can spread the news and so on and everyone can help the watershed! Hopefully one day we can all live in a plastic pollution free world!”