Interview with a Parent Volunteer

GUOS: What made you interested in becoming a Green Team volunteer?
BJ: A good friend and fellow Edison parent recruited me right off the playground. I maintain an enduring interest in keeping this planet livable, and the conversation of sustainability grows only when each new generation takes it deeper to heart. So, working with the Green Team at Edison begins to address the expression of those concerns quite nicely.

GUOS: What is the commitment level associated with being a volunteer? The Green Team meets for an hour before school every other week -- how much time do you spend on the program outside of that?
BJ: We spent a few hours at the beginning of the semester getting our heads around what the Green Team actually is, who it involves with the parent group, etc... Since then, with the carry over activities from last year, the involvement level is quite moderate and manageable. Plus, we seek to strategically involve the specific talents of other parents which enables us to share the workload and increase community participation. We get a lot of help from others!

GUOS: What are the words to the Green Team song? It's sung to the tune of "We Will Rock You," correct?
BJ: During the first Green Team meeting this year, I had kids brain storm words that they associated with the work that the Green Team does, and they came up with a large list. I then took that list and developed the song lyrics from it. I stole the idea from Queen's "We will Rock You" after hearing an interview about how Queen developed that song to specifically create a way for their audience to have fun. The lyrics are:

Green Team Rap

We will, we will Recycle!
We will, we will Recycle!

We’re the Green Team!
We’re a green machine!
We’re here today,
And we got something to say

Yeah, we’re the Green Team
And we recycle,
Glass, cans, paper, plastic,
Fantastic!

We reduce school trash,
We save green cash,
We work hard like granite,
We love this planet!

Like a CFL bulb
We’re gonna light the way,
Before you throw stuff away
We got something to say:

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle!
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle!

We are, we are the Green Team!
We are, we are the Green Team!

GUOS: What advice would you give to other teachers trying to recruit parent volunteers like yourself?
BJ: I strongly suggest developing a Green Team "production book" which allows for current and future volunteers to clearly understand what the plan is, what it has been, and where it might go. That kind of organizational record and history goes a long way to decrease the potential for overwhelm, which increases the likelihood of generating volunteers. With a good sense of roles, boundaries, the who's who record, and a clear plan and direction, it's easy to find ways for others to contribute. It's a little bit of work now that saves a lot of work later.

GUOS: Any funny stories you'd like to share about your time with the Green Team so far?
BJ: Mostly, I am profoundly impressed with how the students of the Edison Green Team handle themselves. They show great enthusiasm and commitment to helping their school and each other both learn and act on the lessons of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". It's a privilege to be involved, and I love it more each meeting.