Collection boxes have been popping up in hallways and outside classrooms at Carroll Senior High School recently. These blue bins are for a green effort put forth by Carroll Senior High School Environmental Science and Life Skills students.

The group needs approximately 2,500 bottles to construct a water-bottle greenhouse. The greenhouse will be constructed and installed behind the CISD Aquatics Center located on the CSHS campus. Once complete, the greenhouse will be home to a various assortment of herbs and vegetables. Dubbed “The Pizza Garden Project”, this effort combines students in Environmental Science and Life Skills to work together. Life Skills students collect bottles and prepare them for construction, while science students cultivate seedlings in preparation for transfer to the greenhouse upon completion. The project is expected to continue year after year as students learn about soil, plant life and growth, gardening, organic vs. inorganic and pesticides. At the end of the year the students will make homemade pizza using all of the garden vegetables and spices grown throughout the year.

“When choosing a project I knew I wanted to do something for the Life Skills students whom I have had the pleasure of spending time with over the years,” said organizer Michelle Kelly a CSHS Sophomore. “It was also important to me to do a project that would involve and benefit a large student body.”

Example of a Plastic Bottle Greenhouse

Kelly and other student groups including Student Council, Key Club and teachers are assisting with water bottle collections. Anyone with empty bottles to donate can do so by depositing into the blue collection bins on campus. The CSHS front office staff will accept large quantities of bottles. For additional information about the project, click here.

Construction of the water bottle greenhouse has been underway throughout March at Carroll Senior High School. Students who assist with building can earn community service hours. Click here for dates and times.