Earth Warrior K-12 School Program
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School Program, Influence, History and Background
Resilience Birthright’s founder, Jessica Jane Robinson, has been working in schools teaching about climate change and zero-waste, providing technical assistance regarding waste diversion and sustainable program planning and implementation for over a decade. Her work has covered over 80 schools in the Bay Area, California, and has inspired action in schools throughout the United States. Some of her career highlights include:
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She helped the Alameda Unified School District launch the 2009 Go Green Schools Program in their 20 schools, which won the California Resource Recovery Association State Next Generation Recycler Award in 2010.
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Jessica has helped the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority’s Recycle Smart Program, which covers eight school districts and over 60 schools:
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Helping them move from 20% diversion in 2013 to 66% diversion in 2019
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17 schools are diverting over 75%
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24 schools are diverting 50% to 74%
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The RecycleSmart School Program won the National Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) 2017 Excellence Award for Educational Program.
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She helped the City of Oakland launch its pilot composting and recycling program in 6 locations for their Summer Lunch Program in 2014.
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Ms. Robinson has worked with the City of Emeryville and Emery Unified School District to create, expand, and run their district's environmental and zero waste program for over five years.
Ms. Robinson has helped principals, teachers, green teams, and district administrations plan, implement, and promote their environmental program successes. The goal for all the school districts is to help them achieve 80% recycling and waste so that schools operate in alignment with City and State Climate Protection and Zero Waste Plans. The model is flexible and adaptable to fit the needs of any local community.
K-2 Storytime with Resilience
​Storytime with Resilience classroom visits entail Resilience reading a chapter or two from her book, "Resilience & Friends: Cycles of Nature." Resilience will review science vocabulary words with the students and lead interactive lesson plans and activities associated with the chapters read.
"Baby Resilience and Friends: Cycles of Nature" covers four stories:
1. Chapter 1: Terry the Apple Tree Story: Food Cycle
2. Chapter 2: Super Pollinator Friends
3. Chapter 3: Someone's Treat, Another's Compost Story
4. Chapter 4: Real Superheroes Save Trees: Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
K-12 Assemblies and Presentations:
The Earth Warrior assembly is presented by zero waste superhero Resilience. Resilience shares how the earth is negatively impacted by overconsumption and waste, affecting the environment’s health on land and in the ocean. The assembly empowers, educates, and provides the student with information on the power of sorting resources and skill sets that can reverse the damage done to the planet when practiced daily.
Resilience shares how cultural and social behavior changes can help students heal and restore their world.
All assemblies are modified for specific age groups.
• Power of Sorting Resources (K-5)
• Food waste (K-5)
• Refuse and Reuse (5-12)
• Zero Waste Solution to Climate Change (6-12)
• Overconsumption and Waste (6-12)
• Meat Market and Climate Change (6-12)
• Delicate Eco-system and Climate Change (6-12)
• Ocean, Waste, Climate Change (6-12)