School fundraisers are in need of some serious upgrades. Quite often, we ask our children to go out into their communities to sell candy bars, cookie dough, and coupons to fast food restaurants. Schools widely accept these ways of earning cash. In fact, very few people and school districts realize just how unacceptable these strategies are. Why not consider some alternative school fundraisers that benefit our schools, our children, and our planet?

Fundraisers offer much more than just a monetary benefit to schools. Students can gain significant social skills and even boost their self-confidence through fundraising. Plus, it teaches them determination and the importance of serving the community. But when we encourage our students to sell junk food, what kind of message are we sending them? We are reinforcing that unhealthy foods are not only acceptable, but that they are valuable. We are supporting corporations that earn huge amounts of profit by making our children unhealthy.

An Eco-Friendly Alternative

What if school fundraisers went beyond the traditional candy and fast food sales? What if they served as an opportunity to create sustainable positive change in a community? Opting for an eco-friendly fundraiser can achieve just that, and more. But what exactly does it look like? A sustainable fundraiser can take many forms. Students can pick up trash like chip bags and gum wrappers in their neighborhood and bring them to a recycling center in exchange for cash. Children can also sell pens and pencils made out of recycled materials like newspaper.

While these are fantastic ideas, there is still another way to create an impact through fundraising that will last for generations: planting trees. Using ForestNation’s tree kits, students can sell trees to their neighbors, encouraging the whole community to become a little greener. This option also provides an opportunity for students to learn about environmental issues and ecology. Let’s make school fundraisers more eco-friendly, one tree at a time.