New York, Illinois Implement Steel Recycling Educational Programs

The Steel Recycling Institute (SRI) is making inroads in several states with its educational programs for children in pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 and their teachers, among them New York and Illinois.

In 2008, SRI is focusing on updating its educational programs and materials and making them more available to teachers and students nationwide. An overview of the SRI program was presented at the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors in July, and it resulted in the state of Illinois agreeing to feature the SteelCycles educational program on Lieutenant Governor Quinn's environmental Web site. The Web site will include sample activities from the SteelCycles programs, a rubric of state educational standards that can be met through SRI's educational material, and a link to purchase SRI's programs.

In addition, as a result of SRI's ongoing efforts to establish relationships with key state contacts, the South Bronx area schools in New York will be using Cycles for Science for more than 100 students enrolled in its after-school programs. The South Bronx initiative will serve as a pilot program for similar programs throughout New York. Cycles for Science is for grades 9-12 and offers curricula in Chemistry, Biology, Physics and General/Earth Science.

"Our renewed emphasis on education meets our objective to teach the next generation of recyclers about the environmental benefits of steel products," said Bill Heenan, president of SRI. "It also complements AISI's objective to meet the challenges now being presented to the steel industry on the sustainability of steel products in the automotive, construction and container markets. Sustainability has become a prominent issue over the past year that is being met aggressively by our competitors. To stay in the game, we must address this issue as well. SRI's educational programs will help us to meet that challenge."

For more information on SRI's educational programs, visit www.recycle-steel.org or contact Jim Woods.