Student Recycling Leadership Corps
The SRLC Program is not currently accepting new applicants. Please check back at a later date for updates.
What is the Student Recycling Leadership Corps?
The IRC proudly partners with PepsiCo Recycling to offer the Student Recycling Leadership Corps for the third year in a row. The Student Recycling Leadership Corps is an interactive scholarship program for 12 Indiana high school students who wish to increase the impact of recycling at their school. The goal of the Leadership Corps is to engage Student Leaders across Indiana in recycling initiatives in their communities to build the next generation of recycling champions. Throughout the one academic year duration of the program, students will gain valuable leadership skills, hands-on project management experience, and intimate recycling knowledge. Once selected, Student Leaders are charged with implementing the following two elements of the program:
- Facilitating the Recycle Rally program (with the help of an adult ally) at their school (more info in the video below)
- Implementing a public space recycling project of their choice (examples below) in their school and/or community
Upon completion of both projects and at school years’ end, each Student Leader will receive a $1000 scholarship.
What is Recycle Rally?
Recycle Rally is a nationwide school recycling program, sponsored by PepsiCo Recycling, designed to raise awareness among K-12 students about the importance of recycling and encourage them to take action and make recycling part of their lives. This program aims to take K-12 school recycling programs to the next level, expanding to more schools across the nation, and offering new opportunities for involvement. Through the program, students/their adult recycling sponsors track materials their school recycles, earn rewards, gain access to educational tools and connect to a national recycling effort.
What are Public Space Recycling Projects?
In addition to running Recycle Rally in your school, each Student Leader is expected to complete one public space recycling project in your community to collect beverage containers (soda, water, tea bottles, aluminum cans, milk jugs, etc.). The goal of this project is to help Pepsi reach their national goals and set up lasting programs in your schools and communities with successful recycling infrastructures after you graduate.
- Athletics Recycling: For first time Recycle Rally participants only: team up with your athletics faculty, an indoor facility, or outdoor field to collect recyclables during your school or community sporting events, such as football or basketball games, soccer matches, etc.
- Small Event Recycling: Partner with organizations in your community to collect recyclables from multiple small-scale community events (<2,000 attendees). Event examples: fish fry, ice cream social, outdoor concerts, flea markets/neighborhood yard sales, farmers markets, prom, homecoming dances, etc. Connect with the Program Coordinator to discuss how many events you should do.
- Large Event Recycling: Partner with organizations in your community to collect recyclables from a large one-time community/school event (>2,000 attendees). Event examples: 5K run/walk, 4-H Fair, music festivals, food festivals, other local festivals
- Neighborhood/Public Park Recycling: Partner with a local or state park or neighborhood hangout to place recycling bins on site and work out a system to collect them periodically.
- Business Recycling: Determine a local business with a steady flow of beverage containers-perhaps its where you, a family member, or a friend works, and team up with employees to make collection of beverage containers a part of the workplace.
- Other: Have a different idea? There are countless possibilities! Just reach out to the Program Coordinator to bounce ideas your ideas around before moving forward!
Are you eligible?
- Do you live in Indiana?
- Are you currently in your Junior or Senior year of High School?*
- Do you maintain a GPA of at least 2.5?
Special consideration will be given to early applicants with demonstrated leadership experience and/or a clear interest in sustainability. Do not be discouraged before applying - SRLC is not highly competitive, rather an initiative to create recycling champions in Indiana!
*IRC is open to awarding funds directly towards appropriate school programs or towards job training for students not headed to college. If the above requirements do not suit your school but want to participate, please send all inquiries to [email protected] and we can work out options!
How Do You Apply?
The SRLC Program is not currently accepting new applicants. Please check back at a later date for updates.
Application requirements:
- Find an adult affiliated with your school district willing to help guide, support or advocate for your recycling efforts
- Fill out this short form.
- 1-2 letter(s) of recommendation (PDF versions) from adults within your community
- Detailed public space recycling project proposal
Questions?
Contact: Emily Jackson | IRC Program Coordinator
Phone: 317-632-5915 x202
Email: emily@indianarecycling.
More Info on Recycle Rally in this How-To video!