A new hands-on recycling education initiative aims to benefit 100,000 elementary school-age children annually in Genesee County. The move comes as momentum for recycling reached an all-time high in the state of Michigan in 2024. The initiative aims to keep kids engaged at the Flint Farmers鈥� Market through two interactive approaches.
Leaders with the Flint Farmers鈥� Market, Flint Children鈥檚 Museum and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) joined together on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at the market for the announcement. 鈥淥ur partnership demonstrates the Flint Farmers鈥� Market and EGLE鈥檚 commitment to meeting communities where they are, using creative partnerships to extend the reach and impact of environmental education beyond traditional classroom or office settings,鈥� said Flint Farmers鈥� Market Manager Karianne Martus. 鈥淏y embedding educational activities within a high-traffic community gathering space, the partnership ensures that recycling education reaches families in a natural, accessible setting where learning can happen alongside everyday activities.鈥�
The collaboration leverages the Flint Farmers鈥� Market鈥檚 reach鈥�500,000 annual visitors, including more than 100,000 kids between ages 2 to 10 across its three-day operations each week 鈥� to deliver hands-on environmental education through the Flint Children鈥檚 Museum鈥檚 interactive space within the market.