By Beth Geiger, Sr. Manager, Strategic Marketing, WestRock
Last spring, I hosted my first WestRock-sponsored TICCIT program at an elementary school in Atlanta. Short for “Trees Into Cartons, Cartons Into Trees,” TICCIT is a fantastic opportunity for professionals in the carton industry—like you and me—to give back to our communities. With TICCIT, we teach and inspire students about sustainability, recycling, and the importance of trees.
Participating was rewarding and easy—and I hope you will consider putting on a 2020 TICCIT program of your own.
Since my daughters are out of elementary school, the biggest challenge for me was starting the conversation with the school. I sent a quick email to a former teacher and that’s all it took. The school was thrilled at the opportunity.
During a brief introductory call, we quickly decided that third grade would be the right age for the program, and we set a date of Earth Day to present to all 250 third-graders.
Engaging 250 students at the same time might sound like a daunting task, but with the tools and advice provided by the PPC, presenting TICCT was easy to activate with just a little prep on my end. Here’s what I learned along the way:
Easy Prep
We bought discounted tree saplings from the Arbor Day Foundation, which were delivered to my house. I also ordered WestRock Fold-Pak® containers for the students to plant their saplings in. Additional supplies included dirt, bins for the dirt and trees, and small shovels.
Engage Co-workers
I invited John O’Neal, our executive vice president, and other co-workers to join me for the event. It was so much fun to share the experience with them.
No Need to Create a Presentation
A fully designed PowerPoint presentation and directions are available for free download at ticcit.info. It covers paperboard packaging, how paper is made, recycling, etc. The students loved it when we talked about paperboard packaging in their everyday lives—in their favorite cereal or even from south’s favorite restaurant, Chick-fil-A®.
Let Older Students Help
We set up four stations and walked through instructions with older students from the science club. They helped the third-graders plant their trees.
As we walked into the auditorium to present, one of my co-presenters said, “This is going to be the best part of their school day today.” They were right. The students were jumping out of their seats to answer questions during the presentation. They loved planting the saplings.
What I didn’t know when we walked into the school that day was that it was also going to be the best part of my day. Connecting our industry to make a difference in the future and seeing the students’ enthusiasm during the program was surprisingly rewarding.
I truly look forward to TICCIT this year, and I’m already working to share my experience and expand the program within WestRock.
To learn more and get ready for your 2020 TICCIT program, visit ticcit.info