Litter is an ongoing growing problem across the country. Most litter campaigns such as “Don’t Mess With Texas” evoke a negative message (Do Not, Don’t) aimed at preventing litter. These programs try to prevent litter; yet don’t encourage removing existing litter.
A new concept being activated in Corpus Christi is accomplishing
both goals of
cleaning up litter and preventing litter.
The Devary Durrill Foundation has initiated a deceptively simple
program in some
Corpus Christi grade schools called “Pick-Up”. This program teaches
impressionable children in first several grades of elementary school that picking
up litter in the school and on the playgrounds is their responsibility. The program
guidelines have teachers instructing children to automatically pick up litter
no matter how or where it appears. Instructions are for the teachers to avoid
any negative connotations critical of litter or of messy children. This works
by not chastising a child for dropping things but recognizing and praising a
child for automatically picking up dropped items. The teacher has to innovative
in creating litter along with praise for the child that discovers and “Picks-Up”.
All children want recognition and immediately discover that picking up trash
gets them coveted recognition.
This program has been in action for several months and has astounded
faculties and custodians at participating schools. Principals
say it has created a 180-degree
change in student’s concept of litter. The children now look for and “Pick-Up” trash
like they are on an Easter Egg hunt. Teachers also scribble on blackboards and
students noticing the graffiti are instructed to immediately erase the offending
chalk marks. Discovering and removing graffiti receives recognition and phrase
from the instructor. Custodians say they now are able to concentrate on maintenance
rather than being a janitor. So the program accomplishes two goals----it prevents
litter and cleans litter, by the mere fact it is being picked up before it becomes
noticeable.
Think about a grade school with 400 students. That amounts to
800 eyes and 800 hands available to pick up a piece of litter.
If 400 students have each hand
pick up one piece of litter a day that is 4000 pieces of litter a week that will
disappear at one school.
And that is what has happened in Corpus Christi because there is now virtually
no litter to be found at the participating schools. This fact illustrates that
the teachers have to be creative and continue creating discoverable litter available
for “Pick-Up”. This allows the teacher to keep being able to praise
and recognize individual students. Some students receive a special embossed green
silicone wristband “Principals Pick-Up Award “. These wristbands
have become status symbols that every student wants.
