Celebrating 10 years in North America this year, SCA is honoring the past, present and future of environmental education this America Recycles Day, Nov. 15, 2011, with its 2011 Environmental Education Grant program. SCA is awarding more than $25,000 to 12 schools in the four regions where it has tissue operations: Alabama, Arizona, New York and Wisconsin.
 
“SCA has been operating in North America for more than 10 years, and sustainability has always been a core principle in the way we conduct our business,” said Don Lewis, president of SCA Tissue North America. “Our grant program helps continue our legacy of responsibility by inspiring students to be environmental stewards of the next generation. Teaching them to understand the importance and principles of sustainability will help them ‘walk the talk’ as adults.”
 
This is the fifth year SCA is awarding environmental education grants to elementary, middle and high schools in the regions where its employees work and live. SCA has awarded nearly $150,000 in funding to approximately 70 schools since the inception of the program in 2007. Individual grants this year range from $960 to $2,500 and fund environmental initiatives such as recycling programs and equipment, compost sites, outdoor classrooms, studies on alternative energy and environmental field trips.
 
As part of this year’s commemoration of America Recycles Day, SCA will be visiting some of the past grant winners to see the evolution and influence of projects made possible by the grant program.