Island wide competition with MCCA, G3 transforms trash into treasure

From pieces resembling lemmai trees or even island treasures in a clam shell, the winning entries of “The Second Life Project: Telling Tales with Trash” showcased the creativity of students in Guam while raising awareness about the island wide waste crisis

 

Project proponent Micronesia Climate Change Alliance (MCCA), in collaboration with the University of Guam-Guam Green Growth (G3) Initiative, recognized the winners of the competition in an awarding ceremony held Friday, April 28, at GPO. 

Through this initiative, MCCA aims to promote sustainable practices and inspire a sense of environmental responsibility among the younger generation. By encouraging students to repurpose waste materials and create unique works of art, the project reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and fosters a sense of creativity and cultural connection. 

“MCCA created the project to, one, educate our youth about the waste crisis, our plastic pollution problem, and two, get them engaged in reusing waste in creative ways, and three, to center our culture and our lands as part of the storytelling,” MCCA Executive Director Mina Flores-Cantrell said. 

From K to 12, to collegiate levels, the students submitted creations made from discarded materials such as plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, styrofoam, old table skirts, ironing boards, produce bags, bottle caps among others.  

This year’s competition received an overwhelming response from the community. Flores-Cantrell, who is also the project lead, said more than 300 students got involved in creating 17 upcycled submissions, which received around 13,000 public votes.  

The overall winners are: 

  • Pre-K to 2nd Grade: “Honoring CHamorus Near and Far,” Daniel L. Perez Elementary School, Teacher: Janice Evangelista. 
  • 3rd to 5th Grade: “Welcome to the Beehives,” Agana Heights Elementary School, Teacher: Marilyn G. Collins. 
  • 6th to 8th Grade: “Micronesian Island Treasures,” Jose Rios Middle School, Teacher: Charleena Yanger. 
  • 9th to 12th Grade: “Live, Laugh, Lemmai,” John F. Kennedy High School, Teacher: Carolyn Haruo 
  • Collegiate Category: “Bienbenido Lancho GCC!” Guam Community College, Marsha Postrozny-Torres’ CD 140 and CD 260 classes. 

UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant Director Austin Shelton said the project encourages a shift in perspective by turning trash into resources and creating stories using upcycled materials as a medium.  

“This is all connected to our Center for Island Sustainability conference theme this year, which is to ‘Rediscover the Depths of Our Island Abundance,’” he said.  

MCCA is a grassroots network of individuals and organization dedicated to creating community centered solutions to climate change. G3 works with the nonprofit in achieving the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Micronesia Challenge Goals, specifically in activities that promote climate action.  

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