Fourth graders raise money for HSPC through ‘upcycling’

Having spent recent weeks learning about trash and recycling recently, students in Jennifer Mann’s fourth grade class at Tzouanakis Intermediate School spent a recent Saturday selling “upcycled” products at Rescued Treasures, raising $187 for the Humane Society of Putnam County in the process.

Courtesy photo

Fourth grade students at Tzouanakis Intermediate School have been talking about trash recently thanks to a course provided by Project Lead the Way.

This course, titled “Human Impact and Natural Disasters,” educates students on renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy.

It also explains how waste products can not just be recycled, but also reinvented via “upcycling.” For example, one group of students used an empty wine bottle, scrap wood and leftover varnish to create a decorative wall hanging.

The students were so excited about their products that they decided to use them to help their community.

On Saturday, Dec. 4, these students were found at the Rescued Treasures thrift store from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., selling their products for a good cause.

At the end of the day, they had raised $187 to be distributributed to the Humane Society of Putnam County, whose mission is to help control the dog and cat population in Putnam County.