West Virginia Campus Compact recently named Glenville State College a Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) mini-grant recipient. West Virginia Campus Compact is West Virginia’s lead agency for Global Youth Service Day 2010 and is able to provide the mini-grants through a $2,000 Lead Agency Grant from Youth Service America.

Glenville State College will use its mini-grant to fund a project called ‘Recycle Mania.’ In collaboration with the WVU 4-H Extension Office in Gilmer County, Glenville State College students will engage participants in K-6th grade in educational activities that focus on ‘Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling’ concepts. The project will take place in two different parts during the month of April. The first set of events will take place during the week of April 5th-10th. This week was chosen because the Gilmer County students will be on spring break allowing maximum participation by the community. The second part will occur on April 23rd -24th focusing on family education about the ‘Reducing, Reusing and Recycling’ concepts that where communicated to the parents during part one of the project. This will allow the parents to have a cooperative role in recycling and sustainability with their children to keep the ideas and process of recycling long after the GYSD is completed.

“This project is a great opportunity to show students the importance of service learning at an early age. We hope to engrain a better appreciation of the environment and the things we all can do to protect it. When students learn to give back to their community while they are young, they will be more likely to continue to give back throughout their lives,” said Kipp Colvin, GSC Director of Student Activities.

Global Youth Service Day is an annual campaign that celebrates and mobilizes the millions of children and youth who improve their communities each day of the year through service and service-learning. Established in 1988, GYSD is the largest service event in the world and is now celebrated in over 100 countries.

In addition to Glenville State College, seven other campuses in West Virginia were selected for mini-grant funding including: Bethany College, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, Fairmont State University/Pierpont Community and Technical College, Marshall University, New River Community and Technical College—Raleigh County Campus, Potomac State College, and Shepherd University.

For more information about the Gilmer County ‘Recycle Mania’ event, contact Jennifer Shirey, Gilmer County’s WVU 4-H Extension Agent, at jenny.shirey@mail.wvu.edu or (304) 462-7061