Celebrating the Earth at CHEC in Cookeville
The sun was shining as students, faculty, staff, and visitors celebrated Earth Day on Friday at the Cookeville Higher Education Campus (CHEC). The educational event featured environmental science displays, speakers, and documentary films. CHEC students designed interactive activities highlighting fun recycling techniques. Vol State at Livingston students also participated in the Earth Day activities. The projects came from a variety of classes, ranging from Chemistry to Education. The focus of this Earth Day event was the impact of plastics on the environment. Martha Wells, an environmental chemist, discussed reasons to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover plastics. Other speakers included Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton, Putnam County Executive Randy Porter, and Gloria Belken from the Climate Reality Project.
Sponsors for Earth Day at CHEC included: HelgasPhotos, Cookeville Honda, and RE/MAX ONE. CHEC is located at 1000 Neal Street. It is the site of classes for Volunteer State Community College, Tennessee Tech University and TCAT Livingston.
Picture titled Egg Carton: Ashley Lawson of Livingston and her children Elijah, Sutton, and Ellee, make caterpillars out of recycled egg cartons, assisted by Vol State students Katy Hitchcock of Sparta and Cheyenne Favaro of Smithville.
Picture titled birdfeeder: Education students Katie West of Livingston, Lakyn Conner of Livingston, and Kimber Cummings of Byrdstown show off birdfeeders made of used water bottles, just one of the many Vol State and TTU class projects students put together for the Earth Day event.
About Vol State
Volunteer State Community College has more than 90 programs of study and offers two-year degrees, certificates and paths to university transfer. Continuing Education and Workforce Development extends the college mission to the entire community. For more information, visit volstate.edu.