How to Start an Environmental Club
Have you ever wanted to do something that would make a difference in your school? Have you noticed that there is no environment club in your school, or are you tired of sitting back and waiting for one? Then become a pioneer and start one! In this step-by-step guide, you can create an environment club right in your own school and connect with other environmentally conscious students who are probably thinking the same thing!
1. Find a small group of other students supporting your cause
OR
1. Find a staff sponsor/adult supervisor
You can really do either one first, but finding a small group of students who will definitely be in the environment club is a great way to show the school that there is interest for the club.
No matter how responsible you might be, your club will still need a staff sponsor to supervise your meetings, and be responsible for legal stuff. If your club has strong, dependable student leaders, you might need an advisor in name only; but finding a supportive adult is critical.
Consider approaching a teacher who is concerned about environmental issues, and who has the time, and interest for the club. If you can’t think of a teacher, try finding out when your student council meets and approach them about finding a teacher sponsor. They might be able to help you in getting started and refer you to teachers, or even help you in sending memos out to teachers' mailboxes, asking for interested staff sponsors.
Once you have a staff sponsor willing to support your cause, you should contact them to discuss the general vision for the club.
Some questions to consider include:
• How many times per week should the club meet?
• Where should the club meet? (This is largely dependant on your staff sponsor’s schedule.)
• What would you like to see this club accomplish?
These questions can also be answered by members in your club on the first meeting.
2. Follow school regulations for starting a club
Your school might specify certain requirements for starting a club. It may need administrative approval, or you may need to fill out a form. Contact your staff sponsor to see if there are any regulations that need to be followed before the first meeting.
3. Recruit Members
To start a club, you need members. And you want members who are interested in environmental
issues. Plan for a one or two week campaigning blitz to publicize the environment club’s first meeting.
Your campaign can include:
o Announcements on your school’s P.A. System
o Flyers posted around the school
o A notice in the school newspaper
o The use of word of mouth to spread the word
o Asking your teachers to mention it to their students
4. Structure of the Club
At your first meeting, you should definitely discuss the following:
o Will there be a specific hierarchy? Some kind of head leader?
o Will there be titles like President and Secretary?
o How often should the club meet?
o How long will meetings last? ½ an hour? 1 hour?
o Where should the club hold its regular meetings?
5. Writing a mission statement
The mission statement is a description of your club’s basic purpose. First, ask the club members what they wish to accomplish as a group. For instance, do they want to: Raise awareness? Tackle hands-on projects? Take political action? Raise funds for charity?
Although mission statements are quite broad, they should reflect the goals that your club wants to accomplish. Here are some examples of mission statements:
To encourage youth to be active in the improvement of nature in their own communities, as well as the community of the world, and thereby realize that solutions to world problems are achieved through individual involvement.
To create and implement programs and projects to reduce waste and pollution. To work for improvement of the environment of the ocean by educating people and by implementing projects that will directly affect the quality of the land and water.
6. Creating goals and action plans
It is important to set goals to describe what the club plans to accomplish, and help fulfill its mission. If your mission statement was “to raise awareness among the student body and reduce waste around the school,” your goals might be:
o Starting a recycling system in the school
o Cleaning up the school yard
o Creating an awareness campaign for the student body
Your goals must be measurable, and should be accomplishable in a reasonable amount of time (such as in the school year)
The next step would be creating strategies for the goals. These are specific tasks that must be done, such as “Make and post recycling signs around the school”. For each step, you should specify who will be responsible for it and when it will be completed by.
7. Possible problems and obstacles
Other Students;
· students who think it’s "not cool" to care about the environment,
· students who would rather throw a soda can on the ground than put it in a recycling bin or even a trash can,
· students who tease you about being an "environmentalist" and for trying to do something good.
Possible Solutions
• Ignore them when they tease. Don’t give them the attention they want.
• Convince their friends to be environmentalists.
• Don’t preach to them; they’ve probably heard a lot of information and choose to disregard it.
Club Member Motivation
After the initial excitement of starting a new club, enthusiasm may dwindle. Club members may start to miss meetings or to not participate in club projects and events.
Possible Solutions
• Try not to do everything yourself. Try to give everyone a role and a feeling that they can contribute.
• Allow club members to be in charge of projects. Often times, this responsibility allows people to be very creative.
• Make meetings interesting: every month you can have a mini-potluck where everyone brings some food.
• Provide incentives: Prizes, volunteer hours, and recognition. Be creative!
• Encourage members to invite their friends
Teachers and Staff
Teachers may also present obstacles in achieving your goals. They might not want to change something they are currently doing,
or they might refuse to put a recycling bin in their staff offices etc.
Possible Solutions
• Try to talk to these people personally to stress the importance of what you’re trying to accomplish.
• Write a letter to the administration asking for their support. Getting the principal and other administrators on your side gives you more power.
• Don’t give up!
