The Monmouth University Enactus team is partnering with the Long Branch School district in celebration of Earth Month to raise awareness about the importance of recycling. The Monmouth University team is already back to work after their recent trip to the Enactus Regional Competition in New York, NY.
The team has come up with a way to spread awareness about the importance of recycling. The Enactus team has put together a competition where the students from A.A. Anastasia elementary School will compete against each other to see who can raise the most recyclables.
The competition will start on Earth Day, which is Monday, April 22 and will end on that Friday, April 26. At the end of the week the class that collects the most recyclables will receive a pizza party for their efforts.
The Lowes Charitable and Educational Foundation joined together with the Enactus USA organization in order to encourage and promote community awareness. The foundation sent out an application for a $2000 grant for a Community Impact project that would be given to 50 schools where Enactus was a part of that institution.
The University was one of the 50 schools in the country to receive the grant and now will being using the funds provided to put together a community awareness event.
“It was surprising, seeing as though there are so many other larger universities nationally. It shows how much of our work is really being recognized,” said Vice President of Operations Jimmy Nguyen. Secretary of the Enactus Monmouth University team Kandria Ledesma and active member Kristen Flynn met with Long Branch District Administrator of schools Gary Penta last month to discuss with him the potential partnership that the Enactus team will have with the Long Branch School District.
“He was really excited that the University could come and have an impact on the younger generation of students in the community,” said Ledesma, following the meeting with Penta.
The event was originally scheduled for late march but Penta expressed his excitement about the event and said that it would have even more of an impact on the students if it were held during Earth Month.
What the Enactus Team looks for, as well the Lowes Charitable and educational foundation, is impact. How many people is the team going to impact and how is it going to better them in the future? Mel Meneses, President of the Monmouth University Enactus, team commented on the potential impact, stating that, “It will be hard to try and convince the older generation about the importance of recycling; I found that, through my interactions with those older than me, either you recycle or you don’t. So, the most important people that this project can have an effect on are the young ones.”
The week-long event will kick-off with the Enactus team giving a presentation to the students about the importance of recycling and the competition itself. The student will be sent home with giveaways and gifts which will serve as reminders about recycling. Also, student will be sent home with letters to their parents detailing the competition and how they can get there children excited and how they themselves can get involved too.
“We have concluded that not only will the direct impact be on the students participating in the recycling competition, but the indirect impact will be that of the parents who will try and help their children win,” said Meneses when asked about his thoughts on the potential impact that this event can have.
For students interested in The Enactus Monmouth University team and wanting to get involved in this project or upcoming projects, there are meetings held very Monday at 6:00 pm on the second floor of the student center. You could also contact the Enactus team via email Sife@Monmouth.edu.
