A group of teenagers in the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center’s summer camp recently got a hands-on lesson in going “green” when it comes to trash. The JCC of Syracuse’s SyraCruisin’ Teen Travel Camp visited the Covanta Waste to Energy facility in Jamesville on July 26 to volunteer for a roadside litter cleanup and learn about sustainable waste management.
The 14 JCC campers and their camp counselors cleaned up a two mile stretch of roadway near the Covanta plant. Afterward they toured the plant and got a firsthand look at how the facility converts trash into electricity. The experience is part of Covanta’s ongoing goal of educating the public on generating energy from waste and keeping the areas near its facility as litter free as possible.
“During the cleanup we found everything from candy wrappers to a broken bowling ball,” said Logan Woodard, SyraCruisin’ camp counselor. “The kids enjoyed helping cleanup and finding some interesting and bizarre garbage.”
The waste to energy plant tour was very thorough, added Woodard, “It was really cool and very informative. A lot of the campers asked some good questions. They were pretty engaged.”
Each summer the JCC’s SyraCruisin’ Teen Travel Camp offers young teens entering grades seventh through tenth the opportunity to go on local and regional field trips that encourage social and cultural awareness, community service and team building. Campers get to embark on a new adventure each day while broadening their horizons and making a positive local impact.
For more information about the JCC of Syracuse and its summer camp options for preschoolers, school age children and teens, call 445-2360 or visit jccsyr.org.
