BROOKINGS –  The Boys & Girls Club of Brookings first- through fifth-grade club and teen center has been awarded a $20,000 3M Environmental Reserve Fund grant focused on recycling. 

The club sees on average more than 400 youth each day in Brookings and has programs and activities centered on academic success, character and leadership and healthy lifestyles. With the help of the 3M grant, the club will now host Recycling Club, which will guide youth to learn about how to recycle, the impact of recycling and to implement recycling process and policy in their clubs.

“3M is committed to environmental sustainability,” said Jim Fay, 3M Brookings plant manager. “Programs such as our Environmental Reserve grant reinforce the collaboration 3M seeks to forge with our community partners to help overcome the sustainability challenges we face. We are pleased to provide a $20,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Brookings to support its Recycling Club.”

Youth in grades fourth through 12th will have the opportunity to participate in Recycling Club, with the goal of 45 youth participants in the program. 

“We are extremely excited in our partnership with 3M through the Environmental Reserve Fund grant,” Boys & Girls Club Unit Director Chad Vossekuil said. “Members will now have the opportunity to learn more about what it takes to make our club, and themselves, sustainability stewards through practical experiences achieved because of the grant. We look forward to seeing the impact this program has upon the club and those involved.”

The end goal of Recycling Club is to have youth become recycling ambassadors to their peers and in their community. Throughout the year, as youth learn, they will have opportunities to hear speakers and go on field trips that correlate STEM learning and recycling to ensure the process of learning is hands on for the youth.

Recycling Club will be held from 4-5 p.m. Wednesdays at the club. If youth are interested in the program, contact Devin Hudelson for ECE preschool, Matt Sass for first through fifth grade, or Maddy Gilbertson for sixth through 12th grade at 692-3333. 

In 2016, 3M established the Environmental Reserve Fund to support programs focusing on habitat preservation and/or conservation of ecosystems. 

The programs may also have components of science-based environmental education in support of the fund’s goal of improving programming in the environmental space to make a lasting impact on the Earth’s ecosystems in or near a 3M community.

Caption: Members at the Boys & Girls Club of Brookings thank 3M Plant Manager Jim Fay (far left) and 3M Administrative Coordinator Mary Erickson (far right) as they begin an after-school Recycling Club.