Penn State Berks students and Olivet to hold Litter Learning Fun Day

Penn State Berks students will participate in a litter reduction pilot program for members of the community from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at the Olivet Boys & Girls Club Clinton Street location. Titled “Litter Learning Fun Day,” the presentation is part of a partnership between The Center for Service Learning and Community-Based Research at Penn State Berks, the City of Reading, and the Olivet Boys & Girls Club.

“Litter Learning Fun Day” is the second event of this program that began with a clean-up event in Baer Park on Friday, Oct. 14. The pilot program aims to share information about the harmful effects of littering in parks and playgrounds and to implement litter-reduction strategies.

Students will present their information to members of the Olivet Boys & Girls Club. The first portion of the event will include interactive presentations and skits that emphasize the effects of littering in our environment. For the second portion of the event, students will provide interactive learning stations to educate Olivet members on various litter reduction tactics. Students enrolled in Spanish III will provide presentations in Spanish for Spanish-speaking attendees.

“Penn State Berks' role in this collaborative effort with the City of Reading and the Olivet Boys & Girls Club was to conduct college-level research in three courses -- Technical Writing, Writing in the Social Sciences, and Dinosaur Extinctions and Other Controversies -- that may inform longer-term litter reduction programs in Reading. At the same time, they have turned this information into age-appropriate, fun learning activities about litter and recycling for nearly 75 children at the Olivet Boys & Girls Club,” stated Laurie Grobman, coordinator of the Center for Service Learning and Community Based Research. Students’ research will be turned over to the City at the end of this semester.

The Penn State Berks Center for Service Learning and Community-Based Research executes projects that simultaneously enrich student learning and contribute to a community's well being. For additional information about this event or the Center for Service Learning and Community-Based Research, contact Grobman at 610-396-6141 or via email at [email protected].