Chamberlayne Elementary School recently was awarded a $750 grant as part of the Keep Virginia Beautiful (KVB) “30 Grants In 30 Days” program.

The Green Team at Chamberlayne started a school-wide recycling program two years ago and would like to add plastic bag recycling to the program. The team will use this KVB grant to make this a reality. Their goals include installation of permanent plastic bag collection sites, reusable shopping bags to distribute to families, additional outdoor recycling containers to be used throughout campus, as well as a field trip to a local recycling facility for members of the Green Team. These much-needed improvements will have a huge impact on the school-wide recycling program, in addition to providing recycling opportunities to the entire community.

“This grant is our next step in becoming leaders in the community to promote ‘green habits,’” said Chamberlayne’s principal, Muriel Brinkley. “It will enable us to give our students hands-on learning experiences. We are planning to purchase more recycling bins and to build a composting system that will serve as a teaching tool for various grade levels. We are really excited to promote good stewardship of our planet and give our students unique learning experiences at Chamberlayne Elementary School.”

The mission at Keep Virginia Beautiful is to engage and unite Virginians to improve Virginia’s natural and scenic environment through five impact areas: Litter Prevention, Waste Reduction, Recycling, Beautification, and Environmental Education.