Sustainability club members at Southmoor Elementary School’s Literacy Night. photo by Emily Schmitz
With lots of new members, the Sustainability Club has been very active at TJ this year.
Thomas Jefferson’s Sustainability Club has been around since 2016, when it was founded by former student Georgia Hartley. However, this year, with a large influx of new members, the club has been extremely present and active at TJ this school year. From clothing recycling drives to bake sales, the club members are fighting to leave Thomas Jefferson more sustainable than they found it. Sustainability Club has additionally begun the process of having the members receive the Seal of Climate Literacy, which is new to Colorado. During meetings, students collaborate to come up with new projects to help promote sustainability in their communities, learn about internship opportunities, and so much more. This community is perfect for any student passionate about combating climate change and protecting the environment.
Every Tuesday in room 32, the club meets during fifth period lunch to work on a number of different projects and activities: bake sales, park clean-ups, costume drives, native gardens and more. During the bake sale, the club raised almost $300, which will go towards other projects like keeping the TJ garden up and running. Sustainability Club is a strong advocate for the TJ garden, and, earlier this year, the president of the club, senior Riley Rimkus, wrote a $2000 grant to the DPS Climate Action Plan to supply the TJ garden with new plants, specifically ones native to Colorado. The goal of this garden was to cultivate an ecosystem for native pollinators here at TJ. The grant was accepted, so, starting at the end of this month, the club will be working on planting and caring for new plant life in the on-campus garden.
Sustainability Club also frequently partners with local elementary schools such as Southmoor, Samuels, and Bradley International. These schools participated in the costume recycling drive in October which collected old costumes from Thomas Jefferson families and distributed them to elementary school students who lacked one. This encourages the recycling of old clothing rather than throwing items away or over-donating because both of which can lead to a buildup of nonbiodegradable items in landfills across the country. These drives and sales are the club’s way of spreading information about how TJ students, as a whole community, can practice more sustainable behavior so they can contribute to the fight against climate change as much as possible.
Another goal of the club is to have the members receive the Seal of Climate Literacy. This seal was created by Mary Seawell, the CEO of Lyra Colorado. Lyra is a program that aims to create initiatives that will make schools more inclusive and responsive to issues within educational environments. Seawell proposed the seal to the Colorado General Assembly in the bill SB-014 two legislative seasons ago. This bill was passed and signed by the governor on May 23, 2024. Now, any student who is interested can receive this seal, which will demonstrate their understanding of climate change and other environmental issues. This seal is designed to be a diploma endorsement that will give recipients a jumpstart in any future career that involves combating environmental issues. To receive the seal, students must complete a passion project that exhibits their understanding of an environmental topic, and exemplifies what they have done to combat or educate others about said topic. Once their project is completed and approved by a teacher or administrator, the student will submit their project and receive their seal in May. Sustainability Club is excited for their members to begin earning their seals and educating other students about how they can earn it too.
Sustainability Club is a great community for students who love the earth. If any students are interested in joining, they can stop by room 32 on Tuesdays during fifth period lunch. Students can become involved in many different projects, help fundraise, educate others in the surrounding community about sustainability, and earn their own Seal of Climate Literacy.
