Written by Taylor Templer, West Central Coordinator
The Yellow Medicine East YES! team, led by science teacher, Steve Petrich, received funding from the McKnight Foundation last year to install a hydration station. The purpose of this project was to reduce the amount of single-use plastic water bottles being used at the school. According to The Guardian, 1 million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute! This hydration station serves our “on-the-go” culture by offering cool, filtered water to refill reusable water bottles. The students say that the hydration station has been a huge hit because the water tastes better and makes refilling water bottles quick and easy! The students decided to put it by the gymnasium because it would get a lot of use by athletes and visitors during sporting events. The total cost of this project was around $2,000. The students raised money by selling ice cream, working concessions, and presenting to the Health and Safety Department at their school and their local Lion’s Club. With a lot of hard work and support from great organizations, the YME YES! team completed one more project toward a healthier environment!
Major funding for the YES! program was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
