MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Energy Awareness Month began this October, and for some, it brought an opportunity to be creative.
Children and teenagers with Youth Activities Marine and Family Programs Division aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune participated in a poster contest that began last month to bring awareness to issues relating to energy consumption.
The children worked on their contest posters for a week using recycled materials and art supplies from ¬youth programs.
According to Darcy Reid, a child and youth program assistant with the Stone Street Youth Pavilion, children were given the opportunity to work on the project throughout the day. While working on it, they talked about how to save energy and were able to ask questions.
“They learned a little more about how to save energy,” she said. “I don’t think they realized (there were aspects other than) recycling. They learned about things like pulling out power cords when you’re not using it and turning off the lights. I think they learned how that effects their lives as far as energy.”
The poster contest was held by the energy section of the Public Works Division in a partnership with Youth Activities with the Marine and Family Programs Division. It was held to promote energy awareness and conservation.
“The kids really enjoyed the project,” said Gemma Jones, a child and youth program assistant with the Stone Street Youth Pavilion. “They came up with a lot of interesting concepts.”
Children used glitter liberally and portions of containers were recycled for the project. They were cut and glued to the pictures on several occasions. In one case, they were glued above a drawing of several recycling bins, detailing where each kind of item should be recycled.
Ensign Walter Anderson, the assistant public works officer with PWD, said they wanted to try to target youth groups, as well as adults and families.
“One of the best ways to change a culture is to influence a younger age group because they help to influence their parents and they’re good at learning things,” said Anderson. “One of the things we are trying to change is behavior. We realize we have gone just as far as we can with using new technologies, and our next biggest gain in energy conservation is going to come from behavioral change,” said Anderson.
The MCB Camp Lejeune Installations and Environment operations officer, Lt. Col. Bryan Lucas, said the event is a great way to entice parents to get more involved with their children.
“Hopefully, it gets their parents involved. It’ll help them learn about saving the environment and how that can help save money,” said Lucas, who was also a judge of the contest.
The winners received gift cards and an invitation to a leadership luncheon that is being held later in the month.