While most students were winding down for the winter break last month, freshmen and sophomores in Communities were busy hauling bags of plastic film. Their mission? Leading a city-wide sustainability effort in collaboration with elementary classrooms across the district to reduce single-use plastic waste.

The NexTrex Recycling Challenge is more than just a collection drive; it is a months-long educational partnership. Communities students have taken on the role of mentors, visiting elementary schools to lead the younger students through a series of hands-on environmental lessons.

To date, the Communities students have already developed and taught two comprehensive lessons to their elementary counterparts. These sessions focused on the “why” behind plastic pollution and the specifics of what plastic film can—and cannot—be recycled.

Prior to kicking off these lessons, Communities students visited Tri-County Recycling in Appleton to learn more about the process and to learn the do’s and don’ts of recycling.

“It was great being able to see young kids get so excited about helping the environment. They did an amazing job collecting single-use plastic!” said freshman Sophia Nigl, a Communities student who helped lead the classroom instruction.

The collaboration provides young students with a “near-peer” learning experience, making the complex topic of environmental science more accessible. Plus it is always fun for the younger students to be able to work with the high schoolers. 

It isn’t just the students who enjoy it either. Alicia Kessenich, a participating teacher at Oaklawn Elementary School, said, “My students love being a part of something bigger than Oaklawn and it helps make the world a better place. The plastics challenge is a great way to get students involved and have them think about their carbon footprint on the Earth.“

Just before the holiday break, some of the Communities team made a special visit to each participating school to retrieve the plastic collected during the first phase of the challenge. Rather than simply dropping it off at a recycling center, the students performed a detailed analysis of the materials.

By auditing the collection, the high schoolers were able to identify “contamination” (non-recyclable items) and track which schools were most effective at gathering high-quality film. This data will be used to help the 5th graders refine their collection techniques for the second half of the year.

The challenge is far from over. The Communities Program will continue working alongside the elementary classes through Earth Day (April 22), 2026. The ultimate goal is to collect enough plastic film to earn a high-performance composite bench, donated by the NexTrex recycling program.

Interested in bringing in your plastic film? You can drop your items off in the Trex boxes by the Communities classrooms. 

Accepted Items Include:

• Grocery bags and retail sacks
• Case overwrap (from water bottles or paper towels)
• Bread bags and produce bags
• Bubble wrap and air pillows (deflated)
• Dry cleaning bags

For the Communities Program, which emphasizes interdisciplinary learning and community involvement, this project represents the heart of their curriculum.

As the bins begin to fill back up after the new year, the partnership stands as a testament to what can happen when Oshkosh students—from elementary to high school—work together for a greener future.